


Gods, Dragons, and Stars

by ErzaDLaw



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Action/Adventure, F/M, Love Triangles, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-23
Updated: 2019-01-24
Packaged: 2019-08-07 14:28:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 71
Words: 333,466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16410191
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ErzaDLaw/pseuds/ErzaDLaw
Summary: Lucy finds herself in a battle between a Dragon Slayer and a God Slayer. Lucy has to go on a mission with Sabertooth's Orga Nanagear. How will Lucy's team and Fairy Tail's own Lightning Slayer handle this?This was my first fanfiction, and it is still being updated. It was first released on Fanfiction in 2014.





	1. Chapter 1

**I do not own Fairy Tail. Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail. This is a Fanfiction about Lucy that takes place after the Grand Magic Games Arc.**

* * *

 

  
Lucy’s eyes opened while she let out an exasperated sigh. The sun began to shine through her curtains without her permission. She knew that today would be another uneventful day and she couldn’t help but feel depressed about the past few weeks.

  
Everything at the guild was slowly starting to go back to normal. It had been several weeks since Fairy Tail won the Grand Magic games and clients were still sending in job requests for specific mages that were seen at the games. This is the reason why she continued to dread the repetitive days; the regular Team Natsu members rarely had the chance to all go on missions together. Usually the moment one of the team members got back, the guild would get another request sent to them.

  
In all honesty, she couldn’t help but feel somewhat left out. The requests coming in were mostly for the rest of her teammates. Erza and Wendy went on a mission involving, from what Lucy heard, a large amount of sweets. Natsu and Gray were even requested to do a job together. Lucy’s teammates were always kind and excited to see her once they returned, but she couldn’t help but feel somewhat useless since no one had requested a job for her. She wondered if it was because she lost both battles she fought in during the games, but no one in the guild made her feel like it was her fault. In fact, she was fairly certain they hadn’t even noticed that no one had requested her since everyone else had been so busy. However, she couldn’t help but feel like she let Fairy Tail down and felt useless.

  
The sun did not feel any sympathy for Lucy when the beams of light finally hit her eyes. “Uggghhhhh, fine I will get up already” she moaned while she scowled at the window. Her mornings the past few weeks had been uneventful since she hadn’t had to kick Natsu and Happy out her bed. Lucy was starting to miss her wild and crazy mornings a little bit with the two childish idiots; however, she would rather dance as Gajeel’s Bunny Girl before admitting to either Natsu or Happy that she missed them staying at her house.

  
Lucy slowly looked into her closet to decide on what she wanted to wear. Even though she might just sit at the bar all day talking with Mira, she thought it was still important that she look good. She finally decided on a white mini skirt with layering lime green and navy blue tank tops. Surprisingly she was not in the mood for heels today so she decided to wear the cute new lime green ballet flats that Levy had bought for her. She did her hair in her normal up do and tied it together with a matching navy blue ribbon.

  
Once she had approved of her appearance, she finished getting ready before she called out Plue. Plue looked up at Lucy with his goofy expression and replied, “Puu-puun.”

  
“Kawai” Lucy exclaimed, “Alright Plue let’s go to the guild for another wonderful day!”

  
“Puu-puun” Plue replied as he started dancing around Lucy’s apartment.

* * *

  
Lucy and Plue made their way to the guild greeted the guild as they entered. The few people that were up that morning smiled warmly at the young Celestial Wizard.

  
“Good morning Mira, can I get a Strawberry Smoothie today?” Lucy asked as she jumped up onto her regular bar stool.

  
“Morning Lucy, you look very lovely today and here is your smoothie. I already started preparing one for you a few moments ago when I noticed the time,” Mira replied with her warm smile.

  
“Thanks Mira you are the best! By the way do you know when Natsu will be back from the last request, because my I really want to go on a job with him?” Lucy asked.

  
Mira looked down with a frown and said, “I’m sorry Lucy, but Natsu was supposed to be back today but he and Gajeel got in a fight on their last request and destroyed several houses, so a new request for Natsu and Gajeel was put up by the same clients to fix the houses that were destroyed.”

  
Lucy sweat dropped at Mira’s confession. She couldn’t help but be shocked when the request originally came in for Natsu and Gajeel to take down a few wyverns that were terrorizing a town, because the two only work together when absolutely necessary. But the clients really wanted only Natsu and Gajeel ever since they saw the two Fairy Tail mages battle Sting and Rogue at the games. Leave it to Natsu and Gajeel to forget that they were supposed to fight monsters and start fighting each other instead.

  
Right now all of Lucy’s teammates were out on requests right now. Gray had to go on a request with Juvia and Lyon from Lamia Scale to help a village that was suffering from a drought. Apparently the small village wanted to have their houses coated in ice since it was so hot and they wanted a new swimming pool made. Wendy and Charle were out on a job with Cheria from Lamia Scale to babysit a new litter of Exceeds. Finally, Erza was asked to take down a large S-Class monster with the infamous Ichiya. Erza drew her sword at Master when that request was announced, only moments before Ichiya burst through the guild doors while yelling, “MEN!” Lucy cringed at the memory and felt sorry for her friend, but before she could volunteer to go with Erza to help with the pain, Nichiya (the blue exceed that looks like Ichiya) grabbed Erza and took off. Master and Mira only smiled and sweat dropped as Erza was taken away by the two Blue Pegasus members. No one was worried since they knew Erza would beat Ichiya up later. Most members were glad it was Erza going and not them.

  
“Those two are idiots!” Lucy heard as she turned around to see her short blue haired friend Levy.

  
“Oh, hey Levy-chan! How are you today?” Lucy asked.

  
“Morning Lu-chan, I am fine” Levy replied while doing a pouty smile “But I would be better if Natsu and Gajeel would hurry up and get back instead of fighting each other. Gajeel was supposed to help me on a request to find a really old book that has a really difficult metal lock. But Master made Gajeel go with Natsu instead, since we need to build up our clients again.”

  
“I’m sorry Levy-chan, but hopefully they will be back soon” Lucy said optimistically. The three women all smiled nervously knowing that if Gajeel and Natsu had to do something together again than a fight was inevitable.

Levy was about to tell Lucy about a new book she had been reading when Master Makarov came out of his office with a pissed off looking Laxus and yelled, “Lucy can you come up to my office? We have received a request for you and you have to meet Orga from Sabertooth in two hours!”

  
The three women looked up at their tiny Master and all yelled, “Eeeehehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!????


	2. Chapter 2

“Master, someone requested me on a job!” Lucy yelled as she picked herself up off of the guild floor. When the Master announced the news that Lucy would be doing a request with Sabertooth’s Orga Nanagear half of the guild passed out on the ground with small ghosts coming out of their mouths.

Whispers around the guild could be about Lucy’s situation: _“Why him?” “What would they want with Lucy and Orga?” “Cosplayer is in for it.” “What will Natsu and Gray do?”_

Cana even dropped her barrel of beer at the news, and then let out a few slurred curse words at her spilt nectar.

The Master smiled down at one of his favorite mages and replied, “Yes child. In fact the client requested you both several weeks ago; however, we did not receive the request until this morning because of the location of the request. This is why we need to hurry so you can meet Orga.”

Lucy’s spirit somewhat lifted at the news. Someone actually wanted her on a job, but then the daunting realization that Orga was requested too left her nervous. Lucy started to ascend the stairs to Master’s office when she heard Levy yell, “Good luck Lu-chan! Don’t let the scary Sabertooth singer scare you!”

“Lucy is an Otoko!” Elfman yelled in response.

Lucy only grimaced in response as she entered Master’s office and shut the door behind her. Master already sat behind his desk with several stacks of paper and Laxus, who was still scowling, leaned on the wall by the window with his earphones around his neck. Sge also noticed another familiar face once she entered; Master Mavis (Fairy Tail’s first master and founder) was daintily sitting on top of one of the bookshelves swinging her legs back and forth. When she noticed Master Mavis, Mavis smiled warmly at Lucy and said, “Good morning, Lucy. I am so happy that you were requested for a job because your magic is very rare and also very beautiful to watch.”

She began to fiddle with her keys while looking down and blushing, “Ummm…Th-thanks Master Mavis.”

Mavis just smiled at Lucy’s nervousness while finishing her praise, “Lucy the bond you have with your Celestial Spirits is a rare friendship that many mages are not often blessed in witnessing, let alone spirits having a master that loves them unconditionally. Do not doubt your true strength or power. You were chosen for this job for a reason and you are the only one who can help this client.”

“What Master Mavis says is true my child. The client specifically wants you and believes that you are the ‘key’ so to speak in helping him solve his dilemma. Now if you will have a seat we can begin discussing the job before you have to run off to meet with Orga” Master Makarov added as he searched through his stack of papers.

Her spirit lifted a little thanks to the two masters praises; she knew that someday she would need to let them know just how much she needed to hear that. After several weeks of watching her friends go on request after request, she could not help but get depressed at her situation. Lucy took a seat in the chair opposite of Master Makarov’s desk and noticed a pair of stormy blue eyes on her as she sat down. She immediately blushed when she made eye contact with Laxus. Her anxiety quickly began to escalate as her mind raced with thoughts... _Oh god, he probably thinks I am an idiot. No one as strong as Laxus would ever think my magic was worth anything. Oh crap, if he thinks I am useless what will Orga think? After all he is a member of Sabertooth and he was on Minerva’s team._

Laxus noticed how Lucy’s muscles tensed, her heart race picked up, but most of all he noticed the worry in her eyes. Before he could say something, which was odd in itself because Laxus never comforts anyone, Master drew out the request.

“Ahhhh, here it is my child. The request was made from a Mr. Yamagata who lives on top of Samui Yama (Translated: Cold Mountain)” Master handed Lucy the request and her eyes began to scan the document as Master continued, “As you know already you and Orga have both been requested, although the specific reasons why are unclear for now. You will need to meet Orga at the train station here in Magnolia at 10 a.m. I have already spoken to Master Sting from Sabertooth this morning via communication lacrima. Orga was already on a job near Magnolia so he has also been made aware of the situation and is on his way to the station as we speak. The job requires that you will be gone for at least three weeks, possibly more. It should take several days for you both to reach Mr. Yamagata’s dwelling on top of Samui Yama. Unfortunately, Mr. Yamagata wants you there in four days, which means you will have a lot of heavy travelling since it took this letter nearly four weeks to reach us. I already had Laxus purchase you a train ticket this morning, because I knew we were short on time. So you should hurry home and pa-.”

Master’s voice was got off when a flash of light appeared. A pink haired maid stood before them and said, “Hime-sama I have already been to your house and packed a bag for you. Everything at your house is locked and turned off. Here is your travel pack and please let me know when you require the rest of your travel items. Punishment Hime-sama?” The ever loyal Virgo handed Lucy her rolling travel suitcase. Lucy loved her spirits and Virgo had a special place in Lucy’s heart for always seeming to know what exactly Lucy needed.

“No punishment today and thank you so much Virgo” Lucy said and she smiled at her cute spirit. With a quick bow Virgo was gone again in a flash.

Master stood and made his way across the room to a small dresser. He pulled out a round glasslike object and handed it to Lucy. “Lucy this is a communication lacrima that I want you to take with you on the mission. Usually only S-class mages are given these, unless you purchase one yourself, but I want you to go ahead and take one with you just in case. It is clear that Orga already has one to be able to communicate with his new master and since we do not know what type of mission this is, plus the dangerous location of the mission, I would sleep better knowing that we could communicate with you directly.”

Lucy took the lacrima from Master Makarov’s hand and thanked him before slipping it into her travel bag. Master continued, “If you are in any danger do not hesitate to contact the guild. I will notify Mira that you were given one of the lacrimas so that she won’t worry. If you need anything contact the guild, but Laxus and Erza also have communication lacrimas with them at all times so they are a source to you as well.”

Lucy looked nervously back at the Lightning Dragon Slayer who now had his eyes closed, but still leaning against the wall. The thought of her calling the elder mage for help was almost as terrifying as when Erza found out that Natsu, Lucy, and Happy ran off to do an S-class mission alone. Then the severity of situation dawned on her again. She would be traveling to one of the coldest mountains in Fiore with a man she never even spoke to. Orga was almost as powerful as Laxus himself. She wished she could have seen the games when Laxus, Orga, and Jura battled against each other on the final day. The time that Laxus helped saved her team from Hades on Tenroujima; she couldn't help but admire Laxus’s strength. It was the first time she got to see him fight someone. His magic was terrifying and beautiful at the same time. However, she would never tell the dragon slayer that she thought his magic was beautiful, a man like him would probably find that to be an insult. Lucy thought it odd that she would do the request with Orga. If the client wants a lightning user, why not just ask Laxus. Or why not have Orga and Yukino do the mission. Why did this client specifically want her and Orga? But now Lucy had to travel across Fiore with another lightning user, without her team, and be all A-L-O-N-E.

Lucy thought, _Oh no, my team,_ before she asked, “Master what are you going to do about the rest of Team Natsu when they return from their requests?”

Makarov and Laxus both let out a sigh, whereas Master Mavis let out a small giggle. The team was known for being very overprotective of the blonde celestial mage. Lucy already pictured how Natsu would try to burn away the snow at the mountain and Erza would probably try cutting the mountain in two to get to her. Master looked at the young mage and replied, “Unfortunately Lucy when they return, they will not be allowed to come help you. I know you are more than capable of completing the mission on your own, but the request even specifically said that they not come.”

Lucy look surprised and then Laxus finally said, “Turn the page over Blondie.”

Lucy looked at the lighting slayer annoyed, because how could he fail to notice his hair color was also blonde, but then did as he said and look at the back where it had written:

**UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES WILL THE LOUD SWORD WOMAN, ICE STRIPPER, AND THE FLAMING TERROR BE ALLOWED NEAR SAMUI YAMA.**

**Also, the small, annoying, blue, flying menace will not be allowed.**

Lucy’s eyes widened at the message and laughed at picturing her team reading this. She thought how at least Happy might be glad now that someone included him as one of the team members.

Master Makarov finally let out a small chuckle, “Yes apparently the rest of your team is not welcome. Sting apparently thought it was incredibly hilarious. He now has the back of the request framed to hang in his office. I guess anything that makes Natsu look bad will amuse Sting. However, when the rest of Team Natsu gets back to the guild I will explain the situation to them. I will then try to call you on your lacrima, because I do not want my guild broken in two when they find out that they cannot tag along. This way they can see that you are fine and reassure them to stay calm. You are the only one who can calm them all down.”

Mavis looked at Lucy and said, “Yes Lucy, you are quite good at taming wild hearts. Now by looking at the time you should probably start heading to the train station to meet Orga.”

Lucy looked down at Horologium’s key and noticed how it was already 9:45. “Oh no I better hurry!”

Master opened his door and smiled at Lucy again, “Yes Lucy you should go meet your new partner. I wish you luck and please be careful my child you are quite precious to this guild.” Master then looked at Laxus across the room and yelled, “Laxus carry Lucy’s bag for her to the train station!”

At the remark of the Master, Laxus’s eyes popped open and Lucy let out an audible gulp.


	3. Chapter 3

“No really, I am ok!” Lucy exclaimed as she grabbed her bag and started heading towards the door. She couldn’t help but notice how extremely pissed off Laxus looked at Master. 

“Nonsense Lucy, he would be more than happy to help you get to the train station.” Master Makarov added with a cheesy grin, “Now Laxus hurry up and help her!” Master yelled again as he reached out and slapped Lucy’s backside. 

Lucy didn’t understand why Master always had to slap her butt when he was yelling at other people. Master Mavis looked appalled at the 3rd/6th Master of Fairy Tail. Lucy just sighed at her Master’s actions. Lucy needed to hurry to the station, but before she got to the door she heard an exasperated and low voice say, “Yo, Blondie let me carry your bag. I will help you get to the station.”

Lucy froze in terror. Why would Laxus agree to such a demand from Master? Sure he was the Master, but Laxus and Master were family and they could still disagree with one another. She had no problem with making it to the train station by herself. Natsu or Gray would never carry Lucy’s bag. She was fine. Before Lucy could finish her thoughts Laxus grabbed her bag and started heading towards the door and called, “Let’s go Blondie!”

Lucy was already being left behind by the large Lightning Dragon Slayer. Laxus was already down the stairs and heading towards the guild doors. A shocked Lucy looked back at Master Makarov and Master Mavis and yelled, “Bye Masters! See you soon!”

Makarov and Mavis both smiled as Makarov yelled, “Good luck my child and be careful! Call us if you need anything!”

Lucy ran towards the doors and shouted a goodbye to Mira, Levy, and Cana. She wished she could have hugged them, but Laxus seemed to really want to hurry so she did not get the chance. Lucy thought she heard Freed yell something about carrying Lucy’s bag for her instead of Laxus, because he didn’t want to burden Laxus.

Mira, Levy, and Cana couldn’t help but worry about Lucy going off on a mission without the rest of her team, especially considering that the person she had to do a request with was someone who laughed at their nakama for being tortured in front of a crowd. They knew that once Natsu, Erza, and Gray returned that there would be a fight in the guild. 

Once Lucy was out of the guild, she noticed Laxus stomping towards the train station. Lucy didn’t understand why he was being so rude, but she guessed that was just his personality. It wasn’t like Lucy asked Laxus to do this for her. She even insisted that she could carry the bag by herself. Lucy started running to catch up with the dragon slayer. When she just about reached him, she slipped on a rock that she didn’t see. Lucy let out a gasp and closed her eyes for the impact of the ground.

Much to Lucy’s surprise she never felt the hard ground; instead she felt a pair of large, warm arms grab her. Lucy looked up and her eyes met with the stormy blue eyes of Laxus. Lucy couldn’t determine the expression that was on his face. Was it shock from her stupidity? Was it annoyance? Or did he just catch her so she wouldn’t look beat up before meeting Orga.

“Are you alright Blondie?” Laxus asked as he helped Lucy up while giving her a questionable look.

Lucy’s face turned bright red when she heard him ask her. She mentally face palmed at her own stupidity. “I’m sorry Laxus I was trying to hurry but lost my balance and thank you for catching me. I would probably look really dumb in front of Orga if I came looking all scratched up.”

Lucy noticed that Laxus flinched a little when she mentioned Orga’s name. Lucy wondered at that when Laxus responded coldly with, “It’s ok Blondie, but pay more attention when you are with him.” Laxus turned around and started heading back towards the station. 

Lucy looked down a little hurt by the harshness in Laxus’s voice. “Um-m-m O-ok Laxus I will,” Lucy replied. Lucy imagined Laxus was probably just worried about how Fairy Tail would compare to Sabertooth and didn’t want our guild to look weak. 

Laxus realized he probably sounded like a complete asshole to her and sighed. “Lucy I am sorry. I did not mean to sound like a jerk. It’s just that we don’t really know what this mission is about and your team would be upset if something happened to you and so would Gramps,” Laxus said as he continued walking.

Lucy felt a little better, but also shocked that Laxus apologized to her. One of the strongest mages, if not the strongest, just apologized to her! Lucy Heartfilia. She felt a pang though when she realized that he said her team and master would be upset, not that he would be upset. But Lucy smiled up at him as she finally reached his side, “Thanks Laxus, but I will be fine. After all I am a Fairy Tail mage and if Orga, or anyone else, tries anything I will give him a Lucy Kick,” Lucy said as she got a determined expression on her face.

Laxus’s scowl deepened, but Lucy did not notice this. He slowly turned to look at Lucy out of the corner of his eye. She still had a determined look on her face, like she was ready for anything.

Lucy continued talking as if to reassure herself as well as Laxus, “I will be fine, because if the mission was too dangerous I don’t think Master would let me go off alone.” Laxus just harrumphed at her reply and continued their walk to the train in silence. 

Once they got to the station they barely had moments to spare. Lucy looked around nervously for her new partner and saw him standing next to the platform looking straight ahead at the train getting ready to depart. Her eyes widened at the sight of him. 

During the games Orga wore long, white striped pants with a weird yellow cloth around them. He was also completely shirtless during the games. Lucy noticed how the female fans did not seem to mind that at all. In fact during the games, Lucy managed to sneak a peek or two at the Lightning God Slayer. She was used to seeing Gray shirtless, but this was different. Orga was twice the size as Gray. There was hardly any comparison with sheer muscle. Today Orga was wearing long white pants with a tight, plain black t-shirt that showed off his bulging arm and chest muscles. His hair was the same as it was during the games and he also had the same emotionless expression, not revealing anything about himself. Lucy’s breath caught at the way his muscles seemed to call her. God what is my problem? She knew it had to be because she had been a part of Fairy Tail for so long now. The guild was full of perverts and drunks. She didn’t know anything about this man and here she was having a mindgasm from the sight of him. She needed to calm herself and act normal. She shouldn’t be having fantasies about a man she barely knew, especially one that laughed at her weakness before (or at least that is what she heard from Natsu). Lucy knew that Sabertooth apologized to Fairy Tail for Minerva’s treatment towards her after the games and dragon incident was over, but that doesn’t mean Lucy forgot about their actions.

Laxus let out a low growl when he saw where the Blonde’s eyes landed. Almost immediately after Laxus’s growl, Orga’s head turned to face the two Fairy Tail mages coming his way. Lucy’s heart started pounding. She realized that maybe Laxus growled because in a sense Laxus and Orga were rivals. Using similar types of magic plus, at least from what Lucy was told, they never got to finish their fight because that is when Jura intervened. Lucy looked nervously between the two lightning users before turning to Orga. “Hi Orga we haven’t been properly introduced yet, but my name is Lucy Heartfilia. It is a pleasure to meet you and I look forward to working with you,” Lucy said as she gave him her dazzling smile that gave nearly half of the men in Fairy Tail nosebleeds. 

Orga briefly looked away from the increasingly pissed off Laxus to look at the short blonde that greeted him. “Hey,” he replied then turned his attention back to the Lightning Dragon Slayer.

Lucy sweat dropped at Orga’s less than enthusiastic greeting. Then her anxiety started to peak again. How was she supposed to travel for days with the man in front of her? She has probably had deeper conversations with Happy about fish than what she was going to get out of this man. Lucy’s thoughts were pulled away when a large, warm hand touched her shoulder. She looked back at Laxus who continued to eye Orga. They seemed to be having a mental battle against each other that Lucy was oblivious to. Laxus then handed her the ticket he purchased earlier along with her bag and said, “Lucy, you better go get a good spot on the train, I need to deliver a message to Orga first before he goes with you.” 

Lucy took the ticket from Laxus’s hand and turned to face him, “Ummm…o-ok Laxus,” Lucy said nervously, “Thank you for your help today and please tell Master and Mira I will contact them soon. Hopefully my team won’t cause too much trouble before I can get back,” Lucy gave Laxus one last quick smile and then their eyes briefly met. She felt a pang in her chest again as his stormy blue eyes matched her warm chocolate ones. Before she made a fool of herself even more than she already had on the short walk to the train station, she quickly turned around and boarded the train. It took a moment, but she eventually found a nice seat for her and Orga when she started to feel a little panicked. She knew that the past hour had been rather stressful on her and her anxiety was skyrocketing. But something about leaving Laxus’s side made Lucy feel a little more hopeless about her situation. She would soon be alone with a man who has now said one word to her. 

No matter what she tried, she couldn’t shake this nagging feeling about leaving Laxus’s side. Before today, she only had brief conversations with the Lightning Dragon Slayer. She unusually would give him a quick hello and he would nod. They were not close by any means. In fact, she felt like he always avoided her, especially after the Phantom Lord incident. She thought he was rude since he called her big-boobed and said he would help if she would be his woman. She knew she had big boobs; she just didn’t like it when lecherous men pointed it out. She also knew he didn’t care about her and just wanted a piece. Then after the Fantasia incident, she was scared of him but couldn’t help but feel sympathy for him when the Master banished him. She understood somewhat of what it was like to never seem to be good enough for a parent. She understood the need to prove herself. For goodness sakes she felt like that now! Then she thought about Tenroujima and at the Grand Magic Games, when Laxus showed nothing but strength and devotion towards Fairy Tail. She knew that he had changed, but she would be lying if she said she wasn’t still a little intimidated by him. He was just so large and mysterious, plus he was incredibly sexy. She mentally face palmed herself again and thought about how she is now the one turning into the big pervert. Maybe Loke was rubbing off on her. She knew that Laxus would never see her as anything more than nakama. 

Her thoughts turned back to the matter at hand and she wondered why Orga still wasn’t on the train. Why did Laxus need to talk with Orga alone anyways? Lucy grimaced at picturing lightning flying everywhere and the train exploding. She nervously smiled at her imagination. Surely those two would have more self-control than that, but just as soon as Lucy thought that her eyes widened when she heard a large rumbling outside that had nothing to do with the train about to leave the station.

Then Lucy heard a young boy yell to his mother, “Mommy, look at the pretty lightning!”


	4. Chapter 4

“Meeehhhh!!!????” Lucy exclaimed as she quickly turned to where the small child yelled at his mom to only see a brief flash before it was gone, the rumbling sound seemed to stop and the train was finally starting to move. What the heck are those two idiots doing, the train is leaving! Lucy began to panic because Orga was still nowhere to be found, she was about to run off the train to find him when his massive presence finally came into view. His white eyes landed on the busty blonde and he made his way towards her.

She quickly turned back around and sat down in her seat. She felt her nerves escalate again and knew that if Happy were here he would call her “juicy” from her sweat. Lucy looked up at the large man who took a seat across from her with his eyes closed. Orga crossed his enormous arm muscles over his chest as he leaned his head back, hardly even registering the blonde’s presence across from him. 

The young Celestial Mage didn’t know whether to be annoyed or relived at her new partner’s lack of emotions. She couldn’t help but notice the way his arm muscles were flexed across his chest. But despite his enormous and masculine body, Lucy quickly decided that it was annoyance that she felt. I mean how anyone could be so rude was beyond her. She knew that they probably wouldn’t end up being best friends on the trip, but still she was raised to show people common courtesy. Her anger started to escalate at the impassive male when he sensed her growing agitation he opened his eyes to look at her. Her fiery gaze could rival Natsu’s as she met his impassive gaze while she yelled the first thing that came to her mind, “Well would you mind explaining what the heck you and Laxus were doing?! You could have electrocuted everyone on board this train Lightning Rod! You could have killed all of us! What got you two so riled up anyways?!”

Lucy couldn’t tell if she saw shock for a moment in Orga’s eyes, but then he regained his normal stoic expression and said with his deep booming voice, “None of your business Tiny.”  
At his comment, Lucy’s anger nearly exploded. I guess compared to the muscle wielding behemoth next to her almost anyone was tiny. Lucy’s thoughts were soon drawn to how the other passengers were starting to eye her and her new idiotic teammate questionably. She could hear comments being whispered about the two companions: “Is that Lucy from Fairy Tail with Orga from Sabertooth?” “Mommy, do you think he will make another storm?” “Do you think they are a couple?” (Lucy let out a small eep at that comment) “Do you think he is kidnapping her?” “Do you think he is going to finish what Minerva started?”

Lucy flinched at the last remark. She would never forget the pain of that day and the humiliation that Sabertooth gave her. Lucy knows now that the fault lies mostly with Minerva and Sabertooth’s former Master Jiemma and their negative influence on the Sabertooth guild. She still had her doubts about them until Yukino rejoined Sabertooth. Yukino and Lucy became close friends during the games events. It had been a long time since all twelve zodiac keys were called upon together. After the games, Lucy and Yukino remained in touch and the two still send letters to each other constantly. Lucy knows that Yukino is being treated well by the rest of her guild now so that makes Lucy happy. However being with this man brought back fears Lucy thought she had pushed down below the surface. Wasn’t this man a friend of Minerva? Did he not step in front of Minerva to defend her against Natsu and Gray’s anger? 

Orga could sense the fear flowing off of his new busty partner. He had heard the comments and he couldn’t help but feel like an ass for everything that happened to the girl during the games. Didn’t Sting make a formal apology to their Master? Was that not enough? He was never good with relationships. His closest friends at his guild were the other members he fought with at the games, minus Minerva. However, his closest friend was probably Frosch because the small Exceed enjoyed his singing. 

He looked at the blonde that his new Master Sting and Laxus called Lucy when he noticed her beginning to fidget across from him. She looked like she was about to start crying. Orga hated it when girls cried. Orga knew he had to think of something to say but what? He felt like he needed to do something or say something for the blonde. Maybe comfort? Wait comfort? Is that even a word? Orga’s deep concentration of this new word to him was interrupted by a flash of golden light. Orga looked at the light and saw a tall slender man wearing a suit with shades. He had spikey orange hair and he had a confident yet worried look on his face. Orga could hear many of the women on the train let out gasps at the sight of the new man. Orga could tell the women on board were getting hornier by the second from looking at this guy. He noticed that the blonde looked up at the man with a warm smile and that pissed Orga off too for some reason.

“My princess, what is the matter?” The man cooed at Tiny. 

Orga noticed how the man sat next to the blonde and wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to his chest. Orga nearly let out a growl at the sudden contact this male had with his new partner. It is not like Orga was interested in Tiny. Sure she was good to look at, but he had been with many women. Being a member of Sabertooth and being the strongest in Sabertooth meant women were lining up at the door for him. This little girl shouldn’t be upsetting him so much. He blamed Yukino and Sting for his dilemma, because Yukino hardly stopped talking about the Blonde’s good qualities. Sting, on the other hand, couldn’t stop talking about the physical appeal of Tiny. Of course, Orga assumed Sting was only interested in looking at Tiny because of his weird competitive streak with the loud Flame Dragon that was Tiny’s partner. This morning when Sting called to inform him of the mission, Sting couldn’t help but show how jealous he was of Orga for getting to go on a long journey with the blonde celestial wizard. Orga didn’t really care either way. He wasn’t interested in love or a relationship. He had no idea why every male he came in contact with today was getting so worked up for. However, he had to admit his interest was peaked more than usual by the girl—especially after the conversation he had with the Dreyar idiot. 

Lucy sighed and gave Loke an exasperated look. “Loke what are you doing here?” She asked annoyed. 

Loke huh? This must be the dude Yukino talked about that was one of the other girl’s spirits. This is the one that saved them and got their keys back. Orga felt a little better knowing that this guy was a spirit, but couldn’t help but still be annoyed by the man’s presence. To think the Strong Orga would feel annoyed by a playboy. Still the way the women on board the train were slowly undressing the man across from him with their eyes, he couldn’t help but wonder if his blonde partner felt the same as the other drooling females. 

Loke gave a pouty look to his beautiful master and replied, “My Princess, I am hurt that you are not happier to see me. After all I am much better company than the oversized gorilla across from you. You need a Lion to keep you company. You need a man that takes you to places beyond this world and one that would give you the pleasure of a thousand stars!” Orga briefly heard another woman on the train yell, ‘Give me the pleasure, give me-,’ But her voice was drowned away by Loke’s continuous praise of his master, “For My Princess you are the strongest, most beautiful, and I lov-.”

“Keep it down will ya some of us are trying to sleep,” Orga finally stated while interrupting the continuous onslaught of comments Lucy was receive form Loke.

Loke’s eyes flashed angrily at the large man across from him and said, “Do not tell me what I can and cannot do with my master. She is the most important thing in the world to me as well as the rest of her spirits and Team Natsu. If you so much as lay a hand on our princess, or anyone else in your barbaric guild, believe me when I say there is no place on Earthland where you could hide. We would hunt you down and make you suf-.”

“Hai, hai Loke that is enough!” Lucy interrupted quickly so that another fight wouldn’t break out. Lucy knew that this trip would be an interesting one, but she didn’t know how worked up everyone would get. First Laxus was acting weird and now Loke. Lucy could tell that once again they were giving the rest of the train passengers quite the show. Loke and Orga continued to glare at one other as Lucy waved her arms between the two males. She looked at Loke and smiled, “Thanks for coming Loke, but as you can see I am doing quite well. Plus, he is one of Yukino’s dear friends now, so I am sure he and I will get along well enough. In fact, the train ride is somewhat nice since I do not have a sick dragon slayer about to puke on me.” 

Lucy was relieved when she saw Loke’s shoulders finally relax a little. Even if what she said was a slight stretch. She honestly didn’t know how well she and Orga would get along; however, if Yukino thinks Orga is nice enough, maybe she could get past his idiotic ways. But then again Yukino was in love with Rogue so she wasn’t too sure about her friends taste in men. Lucy just assumed it was like how Levy and Gajeeel seemed to like each other. Odd balls always seemed to find one another. 

Loke smile adoringly at his master and let out a low chuckle, “Yes, I suppose riding with almost anyone would be preferable over Natsu’s motion sickness. However, I came to deliver this to you from Virgo.” With a quick poof a small stack of boxes appeared in Loke’s hand. “Virgo told me that with all of the excitement this morning, that you barely had a chance to eat anything. We do not want our beautiful Master wasting away, so she prepared this bento box for you,” Loke then placed the tiered bento boxes into Lucy’s hands. 

Lucy’s eyes widened in excitement, “Thank you so much Loke! I was being rushed around so much this morning that I did not even get to enjoy Mira’s strawberry milkshake she made for me. Laxus was in such a hurry to get me to the station I didn’t get to say a proper good by to anyone either,” Orga’s eyes narrowed in on the blonde at this particular statement as she continued talking with Loke, “Please thank Virgo for me when you go back!”

“Of course, I will let her know how much our Princess enjoys her meal; however, you know she will still want to be punished when she sees you again,” Loke added, “Please call on me anytime you need me on this mission Princess, and I will not hesitate at all when you call.” Loke flashed one more threatening gaze towards Orga before disappearing back to the spirit world. 

Lucy smiled at how she knew Loke came out because he could feel her anxiety and fear. He always had a way of popping up to make her feel better, even if his compliments were bit extreme. Lucy looked down at the bento box and knew that if she didn’t start eating the meal now her stomach would growl louder than the thundering disturbance caused by Laxus and Orga earlier. 

Lucy opened the first tier of her bento box and nearly fell out of her seat as she cried, “KYYYYAAAAAAAA!!!!” Inside of the large bento box was a character bento of Lucy wearing nothing but a towel. 

Her face turned 50 shades of red when she saw Orga’s gaze look her over and then he looked towards the bento box. Lucy couldn’t cover the box back up fast enough. What the hell had Virgo been thinking when she made this? Before Lucy could get the box covered she saw Orga’s normal expressionless scowl turn up into a slight smile. He looked back down at the character bento box and said, “It’s ok Tiny. It isn’t anything I haven’t seen before.” 

Lucy’s earlier rage ignited again. How dare he casually mention all the naked women he had seen before! Without thinking Lucy yelled, “LUCY KICK,” and her leg smacked Orga straight across his enormous chest. 

Orga barely had time to react to the blonde’s sudden surprise attack. “What that hell was that for Tiny?!” he growled at her, “Shouldn’t you be more upset by those two little spirits who showed up at the games like you in a towel?” He was now hovering over her waiting for an explanation.

Lucy blinked at the man who was now barely an inch away from her. She noticed how his white iris’s almost sparked like a lightning storm. When her senses came back she realized how stupid she must have looked to him. Orga wasn’t talking about random women and in fact he was talking about her. She sweat dropped at the memory of Gemini popping up during her battle with Flare and appearing as Lucy in a towel. Now she felt like more of an idiot. It was her fault. Lucy’s day could not get any worse.

“Gomen Orga, I thought you were talking about something else. It is my fault for overreacting,” Lucy stated and she humbly sat back down into her seat.

Orga looked back at the blonde and sighed. Were all Fairy Tail mages this nuts? He remembered Yukino saying how sweat and innocent the other Celestial Mage was. From what he could gather she had quite the temper on her. Then without his permission his stomach growled.

Lucy looked back over at the once again expressionless Lightning God Slayer and let out a small giggle. He looked back at her with narrow eyes and simply said, “Well like you, I hardly had any time this morning before that idiot Sting woke up me to tell me about this mission. I did not get a chance to eat.”

Lucy now felt bad for laughing at him and knew that she had way too much food anyways. She looked down at her box and then with an evil smirk, that made Orga flinch back in his seat, she turned her smirk back into her deathly sweet smile and looked at him, “I would be more than happy to share my lunch with you Orga. I know it will still be awhile before we reach the Oshibana Station, but first you have to tell me something.”

Orga looked between her lunch box and the girl with the fake sweet smile plastered across her face. He knew this was a trick, but wasn’t sure how yet. However, his hunger outweighed his nagging suspicion. “Alright Tiny, what do you want to know.”

Lucy looked into his eyes like she had just captured her prey. She continued to smile and said, “What did you and Laxus get in a fight about?”

Damn this woman was clever! He was not about to reveal the conversation he had with that wannabe lighting god. What happened between him and Laxus was none of her business, well it kind of was, but that was beside the point right now. She was trying to blackmail him and threatened him with food. He had to think fast.

Orga kept his face expressionless. One of his strongest abilities he had, other than being purely awesome at magic, was his ability to keep a neutral face. He never liked to show emotion. Perhaps it was because of how he was raised. Or maybe it was because before the last magic games, emotion was considered a weakness in Sabertooth. Orga continued eyeing the blonde and weighing his options. Orga was not a man of many words. Most people thought him to be a dense idiot. He would let people think that, he didn’t care, because he noticed more about people by not saying much and just observing. But then he hardly had to think when battling, because he was so powerful he could just blast anything that stood in his way. Then without giving much more thought on the matter Orga grabbed the box away from Lucy, before she could protest, and stabbed a fork into the large chest of Lucy’s character bento before taking a big bite. 

A stunned Lucy finally came to her senses. She readied herself for another Lucy kick and screamed, “KKKYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA, YOU PERVERT!!!!”


	5. Chapter 5

Wendy was so excited to be back in Magnolia, she couldn’t wait to get to the guild to see her friends. Wendy and Carla had just gotten back from babysitting the cutest baby exceeds ever! She was so happy to get requested on a mission and on top of that she got to do one with her new friend Chelia from Lamia Scale.

“Carla, do you think that maybe we could go on a job with Team Natsu soon? I really miss hanging out with them, especially Lucy-san,” Wendy said excitedly to her little Exceed friend.

Carla said, “Sure Wendy. Let’s hurry back to the guild to see if everyone has made it back yet.” Even though Carla would never admit to it, she was also a little excited about seeing a certain Blue Exceed. 

Wendy and Carla were making their way through the train station when Wendy noticed the scent of warm strawberries. “Ooohhh…Carla I think Lucy-san is here already! Maybe she just got back from a job, let’s go find her!”

At Wendy’s excitement, Carla smiled at the young Dragon Slayer and quickly followed behind a running Wendy. But then Wendy stopped dead in her tracks when she smelled two other scents with Lucy. She noticed the smell of the outdoors after it has stormed which she always associates with Laxus and another smell that was familiar but Wendy couldn’t place it. Wendy stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Lucy next to Laxus and Sabertooth’s Orga Nanagear. 

Carla, who was now flying slightly over Wendy’s head, saw where the young girl was looking. “Oh, dear I wondered if something happened to Lucy.”

Wendy focused in on the three with her dragon hearing as Carla landed silently on Wendy’s shoulder. She could hear Lucy say, “Hi Orga we haven’t been properly introduced yet, but my name is Lucy Heartfilia. It is a pleasure to meet you and I look forward to working with you.” Then Wendy saw Lucy smiley brightly at Orga. Wendy loved Lucy’s smile and looked up to Lucy like an older sister. But Wendy was too shocked by her friend’s words to even register the warm smile. Lucy-san has to go on a job with Orga-san? Wendy hoped that the reason Laxus was there was because he was going too. 

After Lucy gave her warm greeting, Wendy almost had her dragon senses overloaded. She noticed from Laxus that his defensiveness went up and she could feel the pressure of Laxus’s magic coming forth. Wendy was good at predicting weather patterns and could feel the sudden change in the atmosphere even though everyone else was oblivious to it. However, Wendy noticed that Orga was not oblivious to Laxus’s actions. Carla interrupted Wendy’s thoughts for a split second by asking, “Wendy what is going on?”

Wendy didn’t break her eye contact from the elder mages across the station and just replied quickly to Carla, “Hold on Carla, we do not want to get any closer, because this could be dangerous.”

Carla was stunned, but noticed the seriousness in Wendy’s voice and decided to say no more on the subject because she knew her friend would tell her what was going on as soon as she could. 

Wendy’s attention went back to the events at hand. She saw Ogra briefly break eye contact with Laxus to look at Lucy and replied, “Hey.”

Again Wendy was given an onslaught of sensations. Wendy noticed how even though Ogra kept his face expressionless, he could feel Laxus’s rising threat and matched it with his own. If those two decided to battle it out here, Wendy knew that many people could get hurt or die. This magic pressure was some of the most intense she had ever seen and that is including the day they fought the dragons and Future Rogue. 

Wendy noticed she could feel annoyance at first from Lucy and then a wave of anxiety hit the blonde mage. Then Wendy was surprised at what she witnessed next, Laxus reached out and touched Lucy on the shoulder. Wendy noticed how Lucy’s anxiety went down a little, but her heart rate picked up slightly. Whereas Laxus didn’t break eye contact with Orga, but Wendy could still see a quick sadness in the elder Dragon Slayer’s eyes. Wendy saw Laxus hand Lucy’s items to her and say, “Lucy, you better go get a good spot on the train; I need to deliver a message to Orga first before he goes with you.”

Wendy gasped quietly at this, not wanting to give away her location, she quickly covered her mouth. She knew on a normal day Laxus would be able to detect her presence already, but right now Laxus was extremely focused on the target ahead. Wendy was also getting anxious by the pressure of the two mages, but also because she realized that Laxus had no intention of leaving with Lucy. Lucy was going alone. Why weren’t Natsu-san or Erza-san with her?

Wendy heard Lucy’s response to Laxus, “Ummm…o-ok Laxus. Thank you for your help today and please tell Master and Mira I will contact them soon. Hopefully my team won’t cause too much trouble before I can get back.”

Wendy sensed a different type of anxiety from both Laxus and Lucy as their eyes briefly met before Lucy got on the train. For some reason Wendy felt like her heart broke for the Celestial Mage. Wendy felt a deep pain in her chest as she felt a new sensation come off of Lucy. It was the same feeling Wendy felt coming off of Laxus. Wendy felt like crying for both of them.

The sadness Wendy felt for the two quickly went away and was soon replaced by fear. Wendy’s eyes went back to Laxus and Orga, when she could no longer see Lucy. The two elder mages were silent and continued to stare at one another. Wendy wondered at how so many people could be oblivious to the intense waves of power these two were giving off. 

It was Orga that spoke first, “Well Dreyar are you just going to stand there threatening me or are you going to let me get on the train so I can complete my mission with your pretty, little friend?”

Wendy saw how Orga’s facial expression did not change, but his muscles tensed slightly as if preparing for a fight. 

Laxus on the other hand let out a low growl that shook Wendy to her core. Laxus looked at Orga and grimly said, “I will only say this once. If you lay a hand on her or harm her in any way no god, dragon, master, not even Zeref himself would stop me from hunting you down and killing you.”

Wendy stood there stunned at Laxus’s threat. Hearing Laxus threaten death to someone was even scarier than the stories she heard about him at Fantasia. Wendy has briefly spoken to the elder Dragon Slayer and even though he was not a man of many words, like Gajeel, she thought he was very nice to her. Wendy was almost scared for the other mage in front of Laxus. If this man did anything to Lucy-san she knew that Laxus-san would indeed follow through on his threat.

“Is the big-boobed fairy your woman than Dreyar? I was under the impression that she belonged to the Flame Idiot,” Orga-san simply stated in response to Laxus’s threat. 

Wendy was surprised that the Sabertooth mage was not more scared of Laxus. How could he not be? Then Wendy noticed a brief flash of hurt in Laxus’s eyes. Laxus briefly looked back towards the train where Lucy got on and said, “She is a member of my guild and I will not let trash like you touch her.”

“Hmmm…so if she was your woman you would have admitted to it. Her body is very nice to look at. Basically Dreyar, you shouldn’t have anything to say about it when she willingly gives herself to me, because you can’t do a damn thing about it,” Orga said smugly at his victory over Laxus. Wendy didn’t know whether to be amazed at Orga’s courage or be disgusted by his comment. What kind of person would purposely try and anger Laxus-san?

Wendy eeped a little and she felt Carla shudder when she saw Laxus’s hand spark slightly at Orga’s words. Laxus looked like he wanted to tear the other man in two; however, Laxus stopped the flow of magic and said, “There is no way Lucy would ever get into bed willingly with you. Especially if she were to ever find out about your ex.” Wendy noticed how Orga flinched at that comment. Who was Orga-san’s ex? Laxus continued talking, “The girl you are about to go on a mission with has the biggest heart in all of Earthland. The guild most of us grew up in was completely destroyed, just because Fairy Tail didn’t want Lucy’s own father to take her away. 

Now I know she agreed to go on this mission with you and our master only allowed it because your punk ass of a new master vouched for your honor, but I do not trust you and if she comes iback damaged in any way, believe me I will not be the only one hunting you. The Titania, Flame Brain, and Ice-Prick would tear the world and your guild apart.”

Wendy felt a swell of pride as Laxus defended Lucy’s honor. Wendy would also make sure to deliver some retribution of her own if Lucy comes back hurt. 

But then Wendy noticed Orga’s face go up into a slight grin as he said, “Well I will just have to make sure that she comes back satisfied then, but it shouldn’t be too hard.”

Before Wendy had time to register what Orga said a deep rumble could be heard across all Magnolia and then lightning exploded where Laxus and Orga were standing. The two sent an attack at one another without even thinking about the consequences of their actions. Wendy heard Carla yell, but Wendy had to do something. But what, what was she supposed to do? She could barely hear a little boy yell on the train, “Mommy, look at the pretty lightning!”

“Oh no Carla, Lucy-san could get hurt if the lighting hits the tracks!” Wendy cried as she started running towards the two lightning users. Before Wendy could reach them both lightning mages magic stopped and she saw a glow of purple words shinning around them. Wendy felt a hand on her should and turned to see Evergreen. 

Evergreen kept looking ahead at the two magic users and said solemnly, “Wendy stay back and let Freed and Bickslow handle this.” 

Wendy looked up to see Freed and Bickslow approaching Laxus and Orga. The two lightning mages weren’t taking their eyes off of each other, but residues of their lightning still crackled around inside the runes.

Freed looked at Laxus and said, “Laxus, you know what Master said, we have to let Lucy go with him,” Freed then turned to Orga and said, “I have re-written the runes around you Orga from Sabertooth to allow you to board the train after your lightning has completely stopped. If I were you I would board it quickly and without saying another word, so that a further disturbance does not impact both of our guilds.”

Wendy watched as both Laxus and Orga’s residue magic began to vanish. Grudgingly Orga turned away from Laxus and swung his pack over his shoulder, but before he boarded the train, Bickslow stepped in front of him and said, “Just so you know, Cospla-Lucy does not only have friends on Earthland. Her spirits do not follow the same rules as humans. So even if Laxus needed to hunt you down, his death would be much swifter than the one her spirits would give you.”

Wendy saw that Orga briefly looked at Bickslow and then finally boarded the train right as it took off. Wendy couldn’t help but let out a small sigh of relief that the danger had now passed for the moment.

Wendy looked back over to the other Dragon Slayer and saw him watch the train leave. Wendy could not read the expression on his face, but again Wendy felt her chest hurt for him. The Raijinshuu members looked at their leader with sad expressions and Freed said, “I am sorry that I put runes around you Laxus but you could have hurt innocent people here and we didn’t want you to regret anything later. We also knew you would never want to harm Lucy.”

Laxus-san didn’t even look at his team as he turned around to leave the station. His teammates looked hurt, but they understood that their leader needed time. Wendy could tell that they were also not happy about Lucy having to leave with the Sabertooth mage. She heard Carla ask the three, “Why did Lucy- have to go with the Sabertooth mage?”

Freed kept his eyes on Laxus leaving and said, “Lucy finally received her first request after the games and it also asked that Orga from Sabertooth accompany her. The mission itself is vague, but both Master Makarov and Master Mavis believe that Lucy needs to complete this mission,” Freed thought for a moment before continuing, “Let me rephrase that slightly, they believe she might be the only one who can complete this mission. Well, whatever mission it is.”

Carla asked, “Where exactly is this mission?” 

“It is at the top of Samui Yama for three weeks possibly more. Plus the request said that Natsu, Erza, Gray—heck even Happy aren’t allowed to come with the Cosplayer,” Bickslow-san added.

Wendy heard Carla harrumph at Bickslow’s answer and Wendy shivered at the name of the location. Poor Lucy-san, Wendy didn’t think Horologium would be able to make it all the way with Lucy-san before his time ran out. 

Wendy also watched Laxus leaving and she knew she needed to do something to help him but wasn’t sure what she should or could do to help her guild mate. Wendy remembered the pain she felt when she saw Laxus and Lucy look at each other. Wendy never wanted Lucy to feel that kind of pain again.

Wendy felt like crying for Laxus and Lucy, but then she remembered something Laxus said to Orga. She looked back at the Raijinshuu members and asked, “Who was Laxus-san talking about earlier? Who is Orga-san’s ex?”

The three Raijinshuu members all stiffened at Wendy’s questions. Wendy and Carla were looking intently at the three elder mages waiting for an answer. Finally Bickslow sighed and grimly said, “Minerva. Minerva is Orga’s ex.”

Wendy felt her entire body go cold at the response.


	6. Chapter 6

Later in the afternoon Orga and Lucy finally arrived at the Oshibana Station. After Orga ate the breasts off of Lucy’s character bento, Lucy tried to get in another LUCY KICK on Orga, but this time he was ready for it and sat her back down in her seat much to her annoyance. When she opened the next bento box, it was another character but this time it was Lucy in her Bunny Girl outfit. Needless to say Orga ate that one too, while Lucy was stuck eating the one of Plue’s face.

After eating, Ogra slept the rest of the way. Lucy tried to entertain herself by writing in her journal or reading, but occasionally she would sneak peeks at the large man across from her. She noticed that he almost had the same expression as he did when he was awake; the man was just so serious. Lucy wondered about the rest of her team and how they would react when they arrive back at the guild. She hoped that they would be ok with her doing this mission. Lucy felt something inside of her, like she had to complete this mission no matter what. Something about it made Lucy feel like that if she didn’t go than she would regret it for the rest of her life.

When they arrived in Oshibana it was mid-afternoon, Lucy didn’t even have to wake Orga. Almost immediately when the train stopped his eyes open and he stood up, got his things, and started heading off of the train. Lucy quickly grabbed her bag and started following her new partner. Lucy broke the silence when she noticed that Orga started to leave her behind, “Hey wait! Where are you going? Shouldn’t we come up with a plan on how to get to Samui Yama? What kind of supplies will we need? It will probably still take a few days. We should-.”

Orga cut Lucy off, he liked silence and she was asking a lot of questions that he had already planned out in his head on the train ride. “Look Tiny, I need to get something else to eat. Then I will tell you what we are going to do,” Orga stated self-knowingly and started to head towards the nearest pub. He added to the girl trying to catch up to him, “You can come too, but don’t ask so many questions.”

Lucy’s anger was evident, but she decided against saying anything. After all she did kick the guy once already and attempted to do so again. Lucy noticed on the train how Orga could have been a lot more forceful with her if he wanted to stop her kick, but he was almost gentle when he blocked the kick and sat her back down.

Also, Lucy had to admit she was slightly hungry too, probably not nearly as much as the man in front of her, but everything about her was off today. Lucy assumed that Orga would need to eat as much as Natsu, after all Natsu and Gajeel ate enough for six normal people. On occasion, Lucy even noticed that Wendy could inhale sweets like air. She finally caught up with Orga and they walked into a dark pub. Lucy looked around and noticed only men at the pub. She wanted to shrink back and run out as fast as she could, because all of the men turned and eyed her up and down not even attempting to hide their drooling mouths. Out of instinct, Lucy moved closer to Orga. Lucy couldn’t help it, usually when she was in these circumstances she was with Natsu or Gray and they would punch someone and life would continue.

Orga noticed how Lucy moved closer to him. He was well aware of the lecherous gaze many of the men had, but they would be stupid to try anything with him there, but their looks still disgusted him. He wanted to fry every person in the room with his lightning. Sure he caught a few peeks in at the blonde cowering beside him, but he was at least discreet about it.

Orga found a spot across the pub where there were a little less people and said, “Let’s go over there Tiny.”

Lucy nearly jumped out of her skin when Orga talked. She quickly followed him and stayed close. She heard a few men let out low whistles as she walked by, but only continued walking. When they got to the table he sat down so that his back was to the rest of the men. Lucy sat on the opposite side and realized that once she was seated, she could no longer see any of the men. Lucy had a small smile on her face and wondered if Orga sat like that on purpose, because now the men could not see Lucy either.

Lucy’s ponderings were interrupted when a tall waiter with greasy slicked back, dark green hair came up to them he handed them menus and asked, “What can I get you two?” Of course his gaze lingered over Lucy’s breasts longer than usual. Lucy tried to block her body by using the menu, but the man was tall enough that her attempts at blocking didn’t matter much.

“I want two, triple cheeseburgers with extra fries and a large beer.” Orga growled and handed the menu back to the waiter, nearly hitting him in the face with the menu.

The waiter started sweating a lot when he realized that maybe his actions were not well thought out. He quickly regained what little composure he had left, but looked down at his notepad and asked, “Aa-nd wh-what w-w-would the y-young l-l-lady l-like to h-have t-today?”

Lucy felt somewhat bad for the waiter, but knew he deserved to be scared by her intimidating partner. After all, the waiter was the one being a pervert to begin with. She finished looking the menu over and said, “I would like the chicken sandwich with fries and a strawberry iced-tea.”

The moment Lucy was done ordering the waiter mumbled something about being as fast as possible and disappeared into the kitchen. Lucy looked over at Orga who was now leaning back in his chair with his eyes closed. She wanted to ask more about the mission, but thought it best to let him eat first. Lucy began to fiddle with her keys again out of nervousness, because of the silence. God why is he so content to just sit there and not say anything? But then Lucy remembered even at the games the few times she saw him, he never really looked like he said much. Lucy thought that maybe she should start a conversation, but really didn’t know what to talk about. She finally decided to say, “S-so Orga, what is it like having Sting as the master now?”

Orga harrumphed at Lucy’s question and said, “The guild is ten times louder, there are fights that break out every day for no reason, and Sting is being a little pansy about being called master.”

Lucy giggled at Orga’s remark, “Well I don’t know if this makes you feel any better, but Fairy Tail has fights almost every day too and is extremely loud,” then Lucy tapped her chin in thought and continued with a smile, “Well let me take that back. There are fights and it is loud when Natsu is there. He and Gray usually get in a fight over the smallest thing. The fights always get ten times worse though when they accidently hit Erza with a chair, or knock her strawberry cake onto the ground. But they sure make the guild entertaining. Why is Sting upset about being called master though?”

“It sounds like Sting and Flame Brain have a lot in common then, because he is usually the one who starts the fights too. Also, Sting doesn’t get upset about being called master; he gets upset when some of us don’t call him master. Well just a few of us don’t,” Orga replied.

“Oh, well why don’t you call him master? I mean he is your master after all,” Lucy asked and then realized that maybe she was overstepping her bounds.

Orga didn’t seem to mind though and just replied, “I will call him master when he earns it. Plus he is younger than me and acts like a little bitch most of the time. Rogue and Rufus don’t call him master either much to his annoyance. Yukino is the only one from our team nice enough to call him master, so he favors her a lot of the time now. We just like to rile him up really, but he usually deserves it.”

Lucy started laughing again and the men in the pub turned to try and look at the golden-haired beauty that was lighting up the dark pub, but their views were blocked by her huge partner. Lucy rested her head on her hands as she looked at Orga and said, “I think if Natsu were to become master at such a young age he would act the same way. But I don’t think Fairy Tail ever has to worry about Natsu becoming master as long as Laxus, Gildarts, or even Erza are still around.”

Orga’s teeth gritted when Lucy mentioned Laxus’s name with a smile on her face and before Lucy was about to say something else, the creepy waiter brought them their food and drinks.

Lucy and Orga finished their meal in silence. Lucy noticed that her drink tasted a little funny, but brushed the thought aside since she hadn’t had anything to drink all day. After the two were done eating they paid for their meal and began to head out. As Lucy and Orga were walking out, Lucy saw that more men were in the pub than when they first arrived. Lucy had to put up with the same lecherous stares from all the new men as well and when they finally stepped out of the dark pub Lucy couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief.

Orga finally said, “Here is the plan Tiny. We will split up while we are here. I am going to go buy us some camping supplies and rent us a vehicle. You are going to go buy us some food supplies. We can make it to the base of Mt. Hakobe by tonight and then we can reach Shirotsume by tomorrow. In Shirotsume, we will get enough supplies to last us until we reach Samui Yama. We will meet at the town square in one hour, so don’t be late.” Orga quickly turned away and started heading in the opposite direction.

“Orga!! Wait just a second; you can’t decide everything without talking about it first!” Lucy yelled at the man who was already disappearing down the street.

Lucy was pissed. Lucy vented her thoughts out loud and many onlookers were shocked that such a pretty girl would have such a vulgar mouth, “How dare that thunder headed ass just decide everything and not talk to me about any of it! He acted like I was just along for the ride. Hmmpphhh…He will probably expect me to do all of the cooking too that arrogant, self-righteous, bag of meat, pig-headed, lightning bastard!”

Lucy’s anger continued as she started making her way towards the market; however, the further she walked the more she realized, but would never admit to, that his plan was actually a pretty good plan. When she thought about the distance they still had to go a magic vehicle would be faster than walking or taking a carriage, but she wondered how long she would be able to last if she had to drive. She had never driven one herself before but knew it was fueled by the user’s magic. She knew at least Orga would be able to power it at least as long as Erza, if not longer. She didn’t want to seem weak and she didn’t want to let him down.

Lucy reached the market and decided she wanted some company so she summoned Plue out to join her.

The little snowman-like spirit looked at his master and said his usual greeting, “Puu-puun.”

Lucy smiled at her cute spirit and bought him a lollipop. She handed to him and said, “Plue I am sorry I called you out to walk me to the guild this morning only to leave you all alone. Can you forgive me?”

The little dog spirit eagerly reached for the lollipop and started doing his shaky dance, “Puu-puun.”

Lucy assumed that meant all was forgiven with the spirit. She started looking at all of the different stalls of food and wondered what Orga even liked to eat. She came to the conclusion that maybe if he was a picky eater he would have told her instead of just running off and leaving her by herself. Lucy decided upon some ingredients for a stew, a quick breakfast for tomorrow, and lots of trail snacks. She ended up buying a lot because she saw how her new partner ate and decided that he could definitely eat as much as Natsu so she would need a lot.

“Holy crap this is a lot of food. That stupid Lightning Rod should have come with me; I can’t carry all of this by myself!” Lucy yelled in frustration.

“Puu-puun,” Plue replied.

“Uuuhhhh, I will barely be able to reach the town square in time at this rate,” Lucy said as she looked down at Horologium’s key, “I guess I will just have to get some help.”

“Puu-puun,” Plue replied as he finished his lollipop.

Lucy looked down at Plue and said, “Thank you for coming out to be with me Plue, but you can return now.” Plue just did one shakier dance before returning to the spirit world with a pop. Then with a quick flash Lucy summoned her friend Virgo.

“Punishment Hime-sama?” Virgo asked.

Lucy just sweat dropped at Virgo’s usual question and said with a sigh, “No punishment today Virgo; however, I am very tempted to after the bento you made for me. Actually I called you out here to see if you would help me carry these supplies to the town square, I have to meet Orga in a few minutes and they are really heavy.”

Lucy detected a flash of amusement in Virgo’s eyes as the maid spirit said, “Hime-sama, I would be happy to assist you carry your items,” Virgo reached down and grabbed almost all of Lucy’s supplies before continuing, “Was Hime-sama not happy with her bento’s? Do I need to be punished?”

Lucy could tell Virgo was enjoying the awkward situation that she put Lucy in with Orga. The maid spirit had an odd sense of humor that Lucy could not figure out. “No Virgo you don’t need to be punished, but you should explain yourself,” Lucy said as she narrowed her eyes at Virgo playfully.

“Taurus helped prepare Hime-sama’s bentos for her enjoyment. If I would have known that the Lightning Sabertooth mage also wanted some, I would have made a bento to depict his singing. Taurus was certain the bentos he helped design were the best because of your nice body,” Virgo said with a glint in her eye as if she wanted to be punished.

Lucy just sighed but before she could say anything she heard a deep, creepy male voice behind her that said, “Indeed you do have a nice body, but it would look even better with me on top of it.”

Lucy turned around to see a group of six males that she all recognized from the pub and the one that spoke so disgustingly to her was none other than the waiter from earlier. The man was wearing black denim jeans and a stained, greasy white (almost yellow) t-shirt. He eyed the blonde mage up and down while licking his lips.

Lucy didn’t even try to hide her disgust at the group of men and turned around to continue to the town square and said, “Excuse me, I am on my way to meet my part-.”

“Hime-sama, I feel strange,” Virgo interrupted as Lucy turned to look at her, “Hime-sama I feel like I am being sent back against my will and your will.”

Lucy saw that Virgo’s body started to fade away slightly to the spirit world. When she heard the men start laughing and the waiter said, “Ohhhhh baby I don’t think you will be meeting your partner again and it looks like your magic is just about up.”

“HIME-SAMA RUN, THEY ARE DRAINING YOUR MAGIC!” Virgo yelled before she was ripped away back into the spirit world.

Lucy looked at Virgo in fear and did not hesitate at the words she heard her friend yell before disappearing. Lucy dropped the supplies and took off towards the direction of the town square. Lucy noticed that no one seemed to be outside, even though she could have sworn many people were out on the street prior to this. She could hear the men yelling behind her and catching up. Lucy could feel the tears starting to form in her eyes. She was terrified. She tried calling Loke, Cancer, Tauras, Sagitarius, all of them but nothing was working. Lucy even tried to ready her Fleuve d'étoiles, but it was unresponsive. She felt her body getting heavier and heavier as she tried to make it to the town square. Would she make it to Orga in time?

Before Lucy could run any further, she felt her body being slammed against the ground. Why can’t I pick myself up? What is happening to me?

Lucy could now hear the men laughing behind her and one of the larger men of the group said, “Woah, this one actually put up quite a good chase. She must be a lot more powerful than the others we have banged.” All of the men started cackling at his statement.

Lucy felt her stomach lurch when she heard what the man said. She couldn’t stop the tears now no matter how hard she tried. She was alone and there was no one there to save her; not Natsu, not Gray, not Loke—Lucy was alone. Lucy was angry and scared; her body was unresponsive as if something was blocking her very thought and move. Lucy looked at her pursuers and all she could manage to say weakly was, “W-w-why?”

At her predicament the men only laughed harder. The waiter from earlier grabbed her face with one of his hands and held it close to his face. Lucy could feel his other rough hand rub up her side as he let out a pleased sigh and said, “Because you are too hot to just let go. Your partner must be stupid to leave something so delicious behind. I slipped something in your drink when you came. That is why you can’t do anything. The potion I put in your drink blocks your magic plus weakens your mind, body, and will. You can’t do a damn thing and no one can find you to save you. I knew the moment I saw you I was going to mark you as mine and not his. A man like that won’t have anything to do with you once you have been broken, that is if he can even find you.”

Lucy couldn’t even move her body to defend herself. He limbs felt like they weighed a ton, she tried to scream out for help but her lips wouldn’t even move. All she could do was look at the disgusting man in front of her and cry.

The man looked her over one more time and said, “Now beautiful, we are going to put that nice body of yours to work.”

Lucy could feel the man’s hot breath near her neck and could see that he was reaching for the hem of her skirt. This is it. This is how I am going to die.

Lucy was about to lose consciousness when she felt the hairs on her arm stand up and a tingling sensation. She could hear the men start to scream and right before she lost all consciousness, she saw a flash of black lightning across the sky.

* * *

 

Orga turned away from the pub and started heading towards the rental store in town. He could hear Lucy yell behind him, “Orga!! Wait just a second; you can’t decide everything without talking about it first!”

He felt a little bad, only a little, for walking away and leaving her to get the rest of the supplies, but he couldn’t help it. He had to get away from her fast and clear his head. He had never felt like this before. He actually enjoyed a conversation he had with someone. Orga Nanagear, Sabertooth’s Lightning God Slayer enjoyed a conversation. Sure they were talking about that idiot Sting, but the way she looked at him and the way she smiled. It made him feel weird. It made him feel like he wanted to talk back to her. Orga never wanted to talk to anyone, unless it was Frosch to talk about the new song Orga had written.

Orga had to get away from her to think. Orga thought about what that Dreyar idiot had said before he boarded the train, about Tiny’s heart. Yukino said something similar. That Tiny didn’t hold grudges and cared a lot.

Orga was pissed that every male he came in contact with today was trying to tell him what to do when it came to Tiny. She sure had a lot of men wrapped around her finger. He wanted to blow the pub up after they went inside and saw all those idiots starring at his new partner. Orga just wanted to blast the hell out of everything right now, but knew he wouldn’t get to do that until tonight. He was going to find a nice big tree and blast the hell out of it once he and Tiny stopped for the day.

After Orga rented a magic car, he went to the supply store to pick up the rest of his supplies. As Orga walked through the town he noticed all of the women stopping to ogle him. He could sense how their heart rates would pick up when he walked by and noticed the blush on their checks. He knew he looked good. He knew he looked damn good. Then he wondered if Tiny thought he looked good. He knew that her heart rate picked up a few times on the train, but he honestly couldn’t tell if it was because she was scared of him or because she was interested. Then when she smiled when she talked about that idiot Dreyar it really pissed him off. He wanted to pound that idiot Lightning Dragon’s face in. Yeah sure he and Dreyar had this rivalry going, but for some reason it pissed him off more thinking that Tiny preferred Dreyar. He was just so damn confused about everything. He never thought this much about one girl before…ever. He was used to one night stands and shit like that. Not real relationships. He didn’t even consider his relationship with Minerva real; they had just hooked up a few times.

Orga looked grimly at the camping supplies in front of him and now he was at another dilemma. Should he buy one big tent or two smaller ones? He didn’t want Tiny to think he was a pervert, but he honestly wasn’t sure if his body would fit in the smaller tent. She can just put up with it. It is not like I will do anything to her. Orga thought as he grabbed the larger tent. He tried to justify it by thinking how it was to save space in the vehicle and travel lighter.

Orga finished purchasing the supplies and went to put them in the rental vehicle. After he got everything packed to his liking he started walking towards the town square to meet his new partner. He realized he probably shouldn’t have left her to do it on her own, because she might not be able to carry it all. But Orga’s thoughts were interrupted when a tall brunette woman in a really tight, short, black dress stepped in his way and said, “Mmmmmm…aren’t you that Lightning Sabertooth Mage?”

Orga saw how the woman eyed him up and down and licked her lips intently. She had really long legs and a chest that could almost put Tiny to shame. The woman was beautiful and she knew how to use her body to her advantage. Any other day, before the games, Orga would have indulged in this woman but today was just not the day. Without saying anything to the woman, Orga just walked right past her.

“Hmmmmm…no wonder Sabertooth is only the second best guild in Fiore. Their mages clearly can’t see what is right in front of them,” the beautiful woman said angrily when she saw that Orga had no interest in her.

Orga just kept walking towards the town square and said in his nonchalant deep voice, “Sorry I have a thing for blondes.” The woman looked hurt at his words and she turned around and left.

WHAT THE HELL DID I JUST SAY? SINCE WHEN HAVE I HAD A THING FOR BLONDES? I just wanted to be left alone to think. Yeah, that must be it. I just said something so she would leave me alone.

Orga reached the town square and looked around for Tiny, but didn’t see her anywhere. There were a lot of people, but he knew with his God Slaying magic he would be able to sense her in the crowd.

It was nearly time for them to meet and Orga was starting to get a little concerned, because his partner was nowhere to be seen. Just when he was about to start heading towards the direction of the pub to trace her steps he felt a weird magical presence. He remembered a similar feeling on the third day of the games when Dreyar fought with Raven Tail. Orga started heading in the direction of the weird magical force but couldn’t see anything but he could sense fear. Tiny.

Without thinking about everyone watching him, Orga’s body turned into his Black Lighting and he searched for his partner. She was being shielded from his eyes but he could still sense her. He finally came to an area where he noticed that people were slightly walking around, even if they didn’t’ know why, he could feel the weird magical barrier strongest here. He could sense Tiny somewhere inside this jumbled mess. He could tell she was scared, just as scared as the day she faced Minerva, and that pissed him off.

Orga called on more of his power and reached out inside the magical barrier, he felt the warm presence of Tiny with six other familiar presences. The other six presences had a very different vibe coming off of them—it was arousal and confidence.

Orga lost all control and yelled, “LIGHTNING GOD’S CHARGED PARTICLE CANNON!!!!”

He could hear six men start to scream as the magical barrier began to disintegrate. His Black Lightning was sparking everywhere, but he was fast enough to send a protective current over to his new teammate so that she would not be hurt. Orga looked down at the men and saw the waiter from the pub holding his unconscious partner.

That bastard and sick friends were going to pay for touching Tiny. Now he knew he didn’t have to wait until tonight to blast a tree.


	7. Chapter 7

“GRAY-SAMA!!!!” Juvia called to Gray who was heading down the road towards Magnolia. He turned and looked at the Water Mage who was walking beside Lyon.

“What Juvia?” He called back to her the annoyance clearly laced in his voice. He didn’t care about all the stupid missions that Gramps was making them go on. But since Lyon had to come on this mission with Gray and Juvia, it was clear that all of the guilds were making the mages who participated during the games do special requests.

“Gray you idiot! You should sound nicer when addressing a Lady,” Lyon stated as Juvia and he finally caught up to Gray. Juvia blushed at Lyon’s declaration of calling her a lady.

Gray didn’t care how he sounded he had a splitting headache throughout most of this mission. He either had to put up with Juvia drooling over him or Lyon reprimanding him for not being nicer to Juvia. Gray just wanted this mission to be over with and go on a mission with the rest of his normal team again.

“Gray-sama, why do you look so sad, is something wrong? Juvia does not like seeing Gray-sama sad,” Juvia stated while looking concerned at the handsome Ice Mage. Lyon also noticed how Gray seemed colder than usual.

Gray just continued walking and let out a sigh, “Nothing is wrong Juvia. I just want to get back home.”

Juvia did not look convinced by Gray’s retort and started to say, “But Gray-sama, Juvi-” Lyon stopped Juvia by putting a hand on her shoulder and shaking his head. Juvia looked down and upset that she could not help her beloved Gray-sama.

Gray ignored his two friends and just kept looking at the road ahead. He knew the reason for his agitation and frankly it wasn’t any of Juvia or Lyon’s business. Gray was pissed, because once again he had to go on another mission without his team and he barely had two hours in Magnolia between his last few jobs. He had barely got talk with Lucy for more than five minutes this last time. He could see that something was bothering her and before he knew it Gramps sent him off on another request. He never even got to ask her what was bothering her. Her warm chocolate eyes had traces of sadness in them. He hated seeing her like that. When he got back to Magnolia he was going to make sure that she would never have to look like that again.

Gray was so lost in thought about his blonde team mate that he barely heard Lyon sigh and say, “Gray your clothes.”

“Ahhhh, when did this happen?!” and Gray started searching for his clothes alongside the road.

 

* * *

 

 

Erza Scarlet was fuming. She had just spent the last week being sniffed not only by the creepiest man she had ever me, but an exceedingly creepy Exceed. The Titania rubbed her temples and let out a sigh of frustration. She couldn’t wait to get rid of this headache, but she knew the further away she got from her temporary partners and the closer she got to Magnolia—her headache would disappear.

Erza, Ichiya, and Nichiya were all requested to do an S-class mission together. The mission was to defeat a beast that was destroying small villages. The beast would give off a scent that made the villagers very ill and defenseless. When the village was weak enough the monster would attack. The mayor that made the job request saw both Ichiya and Erza fight at the games. The mayor thought that the Blue Pegasus members would be useful, because of Ichiya’s use of perfume magic and Nichiya now went everywhere Ichiya did. Then there was Erza, who slayed 100 monsters during the Grand Magic Games.

During the actual battle against the monster, Ichiya and Nichiya thought they needed to protect Erza and went running strait towards the monster without thinking. They were both instantly knocked out, but not before Ichiya could yell, “MMMMMEEEEEEEEEEENNNNN!”

With those two down, it was left up to Fairy Tail’s Titania to take care of the beast. After a quick analysis of the beast’s strengths and weaknesses, Erza defeated the monster in less than ten minutes. Once she destroyed the beast, she took the unconscious pair back to the town and handed them over to the mayor where she collected her portion of the pay and left before the two awoke. She gave instruction to the mayor to tend for the two idiots and was very thankful for how the job worked out. Now she could walk home in peace without being sniffed the whole way.

However, Erza’s headache was not going away. She was upset that Master kept sending their team on different missions. They haven’t been able to work together as team in several weeks. Erza understood the need for the special request missions, but she missed her friends. In a few months’ time, her team had become something simply irreplaceable to her. Erza loved everyone on her team, but she knew that their team was really so strong because of the bubbly blonde glue that held them together. When Lucy was happy, they were happy. When Lucy was sad, they were sad. They would do anything for her. Erza missed her Lucy, because she felt like she had found a sister. Sure they were complete opposites in a lot of ways, but Erza liked how Lucy never laughed at her for liking girly things. Lucy loved and accepted everyone.

Recently though, Master had been sending them on so many job requests that Erza hardly hand anytime to talk to Lucy. Erza missed their girl talks. Erza was going to ask Lucy if she wanted to go on this mission with her so that she wouldn’t have to be with Ichiya alone, but before she got the chance she was kidnapped by the creepy Blue Pegasus members. Erza saw something in Lucy’s eyes the last time she was at the guild. A look Erza knew all too well. Loneliness.

Erza’s heart hurt knowing that her dear friend was lonely and that she wasn’t there to comfort her. She knew the moment she got back she would find Lucy, they would go shopping, and then they would share a big piece of strawberry cake. Well they would get a few strawberry cakes, because Erza wanted more than one.

Erza’s spirits lifted as she pulled her large travel cart towards Magnolia. Soon she would be able to see her dear friend.

 

* * *

 

“OI, YOU METAL-FACCED BASTARD!!! WE HAVE TO STAY HERE LONGER BECAUSE OF YOU!” Natsu screamed at Gajeel.

The Metal Dragon Slayer turned to the pink-haired mage who was already breathing fire and yelled, “IT’S YOUR FAULT SALAMANDER, BECAUSE YOU WEREN’T WATCHING WHERE YOU WERE GOING!”

The two Dragons Slayers lunged at each other again as Happy and Pantherlily sighed at their two idiot friends.

Finally, Pantherlily’s patience had run out. The two idiots before him had fought non-stop on this special job request. The two also continued fighting each other while simultaneously fighting the wyverns that were attacking. Pantherlily had had enough of their childish bickering. Out of dire circumstances, Pantherlily changed into his battle form and attacked the two Dragon Slayers. Pantherlily caught them off guard and knocked their heads together, a move he had learned from Erza. The annoyed Exceed looked at the two mages on the ground below him and yelled, “Enough! Gajeel start making nails so that we have something to hold the wood together with. Natsu start stacking the logs. The sooner you two shut up and finish building these houses the sooner we can get home!”

Happy admired the way Pantherlily bashed Natsu and Gajeel’s heads together. It reminded him of Erza. Plus, Happy really wanted to go home so that he could eat more fish, see Carla, and make fun of Lucy. Happy and Natsu have been so many special missions lately that Happy was missing Lucy, a lot. He wanted Natsu to hurry so he could go see her.

Natsu was annoyed that he had to do this stupid job, with the stupid Metal Dragon Slayer, and he was mad that his head hurt thanks to Pantherlily. Natsu had a headache throughout this entire mission. He just wanted to go home to Fairy Tail and go on a mission with his best friends.

Natsu got up and did as Pantherlily had said. Not because that metal-faced bastard and his cat won a fight, but because he wanted to get home more. Natsu thought it was cool at first that people were specifically requesting him to do jobs, mainly so they could see him fight. However, the longer he was away from Magnolia the more it felt like something wasn’t right. When Master had sent him and Gajeel on this mission a few days ago, Natsu finally realized something. He missed Lucy.

Natsu missed their missions, her food, her spirits, her bed, and most of all he missed her smile. He liked the way that she smelt like warm strawberries, like one of Mira’s freshly baked strawberry cakes. It was at times like this when Natsu was glad that Erza wasn’t a Dragon Slayer, because if she were he knows Lucy would have been eaten by Erza for smelling like her favorite food.

Natsu started noticing certain things about Lucy ever since the Grand Magic Games. He couldn’t quite think of how to describe what he was feeling so he went to talk to his oldest friend—Lisanna. Natsu noticed at the games Lisanna also started smelling more like Bickslow. When he asked her why, she smacked him at first, but then said that the two started dating after the Tenroujima incident. She told him how Evergreen and Elfman would always try and sneak away to meet each other, as if everyone didn’t already know those two liked each other, so then Bickslow and Lisanna would follow Elfman and Ever to spy on them. Eventually they started to fall for each other and went on their first date during the games.

Natsu was glad that his friend had found someone she cared about, but when he asked Lisanna about his weird feelings for Lucy she just kept laughing at him. He was getting really annoyed with it but then Lisanna started asking him questions about Lucy like: What do you like about Lucy, why do you like being around her, how does Lucy make me feel? Natsu just knew that he liked Lucy. She was the best.

Natsu thought about the things Lisanna had asked him about a lot during this last mission. So Natsu decided that once he got back to Magnolia he was going to tell Lucy exactly what he thought and then he was going to pick a fight with that Ice-bastard!

Natsu looked at the houses he still had to rebuild and yelled, “OOOOIII, I’M ALL FIRED UP!”

 

* * *

 

Laxus watched Orga get on the train. He was pissed and hurt. He heard Freed say, “I am sorry that I put runes around you Laxus but you could have hurt innocent people here and we didn’t want you to regret anything later. We also knew you would never want to harm Lucy.”

That was true. No matter what, he never wanted to hurt Blondie. He ignored the frightened stares of the various people at the train station when he and Orga got into it. He was just so damn mad. The last time he felt this pissed off was when his Pops cheated during the games and hurt his guild mates. Laxus was pissed at everything and even at his Gramps for making Blondie go on this ridiculous mission. He didn’t care if some weird old man requested it, which usually made it worse in Blondie’s case, she had really bad luck. Lucky Lucy my ass, that girl was always in some sort of trouble. I guess it is lucky that she is still alive with her crazy team and with every other dark mage trying to kidnap her.

It took everything in Laxus not to pound Orga into a bloody mess, throw Blondie over his shoulder, and taker her away from Lightning God Slayer as fast as possible. But he knew if he did that then he would be in trouble with Gramps. Not to mention he would scare the hell out of Blondie. He knew that her magic was rare and that she was able to defend herself. Laxus had to admit he was impressed during the Grand Magic Games by Blondie. If his Pops hadn’t interfered Lucy would have blown that creepy hair girl away, plus he was pretty sure on the day of the water battle most people wouldn’t have lasted as long as she did against that former SaberBitch. But the fact now was Blondie was going away with someone who disgusted Laxus. If she only knew, she probably would have never agreed to go with the wannabe Lightning Dragon.

He let out a sigh as the train departed from the station. He did not like this situation one bit. He ignored the looks he was getting from his team mates, put his hands in his pockets, and started heading back towards the guild; although, he wasn’t really looking forward to that either. Gramps had been putting him to work non-stop ever since the games ended. Laxus was like Blondie in one sense, because not many people were requesting him for jobs. It was probably because he scared the shit out of most people. Gramps said it was something about his attitude that turned others off to him, but he really didn’t care as long as Fairy Tail was safe and happy.

When Laxus finally reached the guild and opened the doors, more members had arrived. The guild was in a buzz about the morning’s events. He looked around and noticed how Cana, Mira, and Levy were chatting quickly and nervously. With his dragon hearing he could tell they were worried about Blondie just as much. Before he would go back up to see his Gramps he needed to calm down a little more, he yelled over to Mira, “Oi Mira, get me a beer!”

The three girls stopped talking and looked at the Lighting Dragon Slayer with upset expressions. Mira smiled weakly at Laxus, “Sure Laxus, coming right up,” and then Mira turned to go pour Laxus a beer.

Cana set her large barrel of beer aside and gave the elder mage a dark glare and then hiccupped. Cana turned around to face the man and yelled, “Laxus you bastard! Why didn’t you talk the Master into letting someone go with them? What is gonna happen when that SaberBastard tries to screw the virginity right out of her!?”

Laxus felt a pang in his chest. He had begged his Gramps earlier this morning to not let Blondie go. When Gramps questioned him he had to admit everything he knew about that bitch Minerva and Orga. Laxus told his Gramps and Master Mavis about how he knew that Orga had been with Minerva. The two masters just listened to Laxus’s story with sad eyes. That is when that Sting guy called Gramps on the Lacrima. Gramps and SaberBrat discussed parts of the situation, but Laxus wasn’t convinced. What he was convinced about was that Orga shouldn’t be trusted, and Blondie shouldn’t trust him either. But Laxus was now stuck between a rock and a hard place. Gramps forbade him from interfering, but his heart wanted nothing more than protect the blonde.

Without saying anything to the three women looking at him, Laxus grabbed his beer and quickly went up the stairs to face his Gramps. Laxus made his way across the hall to his grandfather’s office and then shut the door behind him. Laxus noticed that Master Mavis had disappeared again and looked across the room towards his Gramps who was staring out of his window.

Without looking at Laxus, the Master let out a heavy sigh and said, “Well my idiotic and awkward grandson, are we going to talk about your little discussion with Orga?”

“What is there to talk about?” Laxus asked grimly, wondering how the old man already knew.

Master Makarov turned to face his grandson with sad eyes and said, “Laxus my boy, I know you are upset that I let Lucy go with Orga. I know that you are upset because Orga and Minerva had a relationship, but why are you letting this bother you so much?”

“I just don’t trust the guy Gramps,” Laxus replied as his scowl deepened.

“Yes I am well aware that you do not trust the man and with good reasons. After what Minerva did to Lucy at the games, I imagine many here would have tried to stop her from going on the mission as well and then would have attempted to harm Orga. However, I don’t think you understand what I am asking. Why is it bothering you so much? Are you worried for Lucy because she is nakama or is there another reason?” the master asked as he continued to study Laxus.

Laxus was starting to get annoyed by all of his gramps questions. Couldn’t he be pissed just because Blondie was running off with that bastard? He nearly growled, “Of course I am upset because she is my nakama and Natsu, Gray, and Erza aren’t here to call you out for sending her into danger.”

Master Makarov just smiled weakly at his grandson. His grandson was a very powerful mage, but he was awkward with people and dealing with relationships. Master Makarov turned back towards his window and said, “Laxus I want you to take the day off. I want you to go somewhere other than the guild and just think about why Lucy going away with Orga upsets you. I will notify your team when they return to the guild to leave you alone for a day, so just go my grandson and have a good rest of your day.”

Laxus was taken aback at his grandfather’s words, but didn’t argue. After his morning, he honestly didn’t want to be around the guild today and constantly have to hear about Blondie going away or have his team hang all over him. Sure they were his friends, but sometimes they tried to help too much. Laxus looked over at his Gramps and said, “Whatever—see you tomorrow.”

“Good-bye my boy and have a good day,” Master Makarov said.

Laxus left the guild in a flash of lightning. He didn’t really feel like walking past everyone again. He just wanted to get out of there. He landed in front of his house so he could change. If he was going to have a day off he was going to go off and train so that he could blast the hell out of something. He needed to vent his anger on something, before he vented it on someone.

Laxus lived right outside of Magnolia in a house that he had built himself. After the Fantasia incident, he built it as something to do without using his magic. He needed to prove to himself that he could do something good.

He quickly went inside to change, grabbed some supplies, and headed out. Laxus used his lightning to teleport to a field that he used a lot for training. Laxus began to work out his body and magic. When his muscles were drenched in sweat he went and grabbed his water bottle out of his pack. No matter how much he blasted his lightning or how many boulders he lifted; he could not get what his Gramps said out of his head.

What Gramps had said was really bothering him. Of course he cared about Lucy as nakama. Now here he was, the sun was sitting, and he still had no idea why he was so pissed off. What was Gramps thinking? What was the point of this day? Why is this bothering me so much that Blondie is with that Saberbastard? Is she just nakama to me?

Laxus started thinking about all the times Lucy had greeted him with a warm smile. She was one of the few people in the guild that would actually say hi to him. He remembered how her eyes would look straight into his. She was so warm. She had nothing to hide. He remembered watching her some days in the guild, how she would smile at her friends. He noticed how when she would smile they all would smile. He even noticed how Gajeel would smile because of her and that bastard never smiled, unless he was around Levy. Her very being was magical. But wasn’t she with Natsu? The two were nearly inseparable. Plus he thought he overheard Blondie say once that Natsu sneaks into her bed. But then Cana said she was a virgin. What exactly was Blondie and Flame Brain’s relationship?

Then during the games, he hated seeing how she got the shit beaten out of her by that SaberBitch. It took everything in him that day not to electrocute the water with that Minerva bitch in it. He hated how Sabertooth laughed at her. Blondie was the kindest person he had ever met. She was one of the first people to welcome him back and forgive him. He didn’t deserve her forgiveness, or anyone’s for that matter. He said he would only help in the Phantom incident if she agreed to be his woman, he even commented about her big chest. Then he had her turned into stone and nearly blasted the shit out of her. But she still forgave him. She forgave everyone.

Then Laxus felt a pang in his chest. She forgave everyone. Would she forgive Orga too? Blondie was going to be away for weeks, possibly more. She was going to be alone with him. Laxus felt the pang again. The thought of that bastard getting to see Blondie’s warm smile made him mad.

Laxus finally made it back to his house. The stars were shining brightly and he couldn’t help but think of Blondie more. After he showered, he grabbed a beer from his fridge and sat down in front of his fireplace. He couldn’t get Blondie’s image out of his head. The way she felt in his arms this morning when she nearly fell. The way she looked at him before she left. The pang in his chest was there again. Over the past few weeks, Laxus watched this blonde and saw how everyone adored her. She was the most loved member in the entire guild. She meant something to everyone, even to him.

Laxus’s thoughts were interrupted when he saw his communication lacrima light up. He figured it was Freed or his Gramps calling to annoy him, but much to his shock when he looked down and saw a blonde haired, brown eyed girl starring back at him. The beautiful girl looked at him and squealed and then in a sexy/whiney voice said, “Ohhhh, Laaaaaxxxusssss! I missssssseddd youu!”

Laxus could not believe what he was seeing. He could not believe what he was hearing! Blondie had called him and was saying she missed him, but then he realized something was off about the blonde. He studied her smiling face for a moment and asked, “Blondie what the hell, are you drunk?”

Lucy nodded her head and like a cat she said, “NNNNNYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAA!”

What the hell did that Saberbastard do to her?! I am going to fry his ass when I see him!


	8. Chapter 8

“TAKE YOUR FILTHY HANDS OFF OF HER!” Orga yelled at the slimy waiter who was still holding onto an unconscious Lucy.

The waiter’s eyes widened in fear at the sight of Orga’s magic sparking all over the place. The other men began to run away in terror, in hopes that they would get away. But Orga was not going to let any of those perverted bastards get away. With one quick flash of his lighting Orga lunged at the waiter and punched him in the face. The man went flying backwards and Orga quickly grabbed Lucy so that she would not hit the ground. He cradled her body against his so that she would not get hurt. Orga turned on the men, stretched out his hand and yelled out, “BLACK LIGHTNING SPHERE!”

The men screamed out in pain and convulsed on the ground as Orga’s magic surrounded them and shocked the hell out of them. Orga was panting to control his magic. He wanted to unleash so much destructive power on these men, but he knew if he did he would hurt the innocent townspeople standing around. The Oshibana people watched in awe as the huge God Slayer attacked with ease and easily dealt with the foul men. Orga looked down at a limp and unconscious Lucy. His eyes had a hint of sadness in them. This was his fault. Sting told him to protect her no matter what. He let his new master down, but most of all he let his new partner down. He never should have left her on her own.

Orga held his blonde partner in his arms and gently shook her, “Tiny can you hear me? Tiny are you ok?” Orga tried to stay calm, but he was so mad. This was his fault.

Lucy’s eyes fluttered open slightly and with a whimper she replied, “O-orga?”

Orga sighed in relief that Tiny was ok. He needed to get her to a physician, but these men needed to be dealt with first. Orga saw a small boy staring at him with wide and amazed eyes. Orga tried his best to sound nice and said to the boy, “Hey kid! Go get the authorities and bring them here as fast as possible!”

The young boy jumped at the chance to help the awesome lightning mage. Then the boy, almost mimicking Happy, saluted Orga and yelled, “Yes sir!” The boy immediately took off running to find the authorities.

Orga looked down at Lucy who had once again closed her eyes. Orga could see scratches on her legs and bruises. It looked like she fell pretty hard. He noticed that she still had her keys and weird whip item. He didn’t understand why her spirits didn’t come out and help her. The playboy can pass through his own gate. Why the hell wasn’t he there when his master was being attacked? Orga could still sense that her breathing was normal, so that was a good sign; however, he did sense that a lot of her magic had been drained.

Orga picked Lucy up bridal style and heard her let out a slight whimper again. He tried his best to be gentle with her as he carried over to the nearest bench. Orga carefully laid Lucy down on the bench and gently placed her head down. He knelt down next to the bench and said, “Tiny, I know you are hurt and tired but if you can try and tell me what happened.”

Lucy struggled to open her eyes and look at the man next to her. “Cancelled magic. Drained. Put something in my drink,” Lucy said with deep gasps in-between each word.

Orga was able to understand a little bit more of what happened. He recognized all of those men from the pub and their waiter was the one holding Tiny when he got there. That bastard must have put something in her drink. But how? Orga could usually smell and sense spells and potions with his magic. The man must have used something that even masked Orga’s God Slaying senses. He placed the Celestial Mage’s hand gently in his and said, “It is ok. You don’t have to say anymore,” Orga then noticed that the Rune Knights were appearing. He started to stand and added, “I am going to go talk to the authorities. I will be standing right over there. Don’t worry I will be right back.”

Orga walked up to the Rune Knights when their leader asked in shock, “Did you do this to these men?”

“Yes,” Orga simply replied.

Orga saw that the Rune Knights were already apprehending the men and loading them into a barred carriage. The leader of the knights said, “You have no idea how thankful we are. These men have been eluding the authorities for months. These men that you took care of have been targeting young girls like her for months now, but no one was strong enough to stop them. No one could detect when or where they would attack or who they even were. Only a few girls have even survived the attacks. The few that did survive wish they hadn’t.”

The leader of the knights faced turned grim as he looked over towards Lucy and he continued, “Your friend seems to have been hurt; however, from the looks of it they were not able to finish what they originally wanted with her. My men have already scouring the surrounding blocks. Apparently your lovely friend put up quite the struggle. Your girlfriend is a very powerful mage to have lasted as long as she did. The men had yet to be captured until tonight, but through questioning the victims that survived we have been able to figure out some of the attackers’ magic skills. One man can drain a mage’s magic, another one can use a fatigue like spell, another one can use an illusion magic, and one can use gravity like magic.”

The leader looked back at Orga and said, “I know that she must be tired but we must question her.”

Orga immediately went defensive and said gruffly, “I already asked her what happened. She could barely talk. So you are not going to bother her more by asking dumb ass questions.”

The knight leader flinched back at Orga’s harshness. The knight knew that this man looked familiar, but couldn’t place where he knew the man from; however, he knew that he should not push his luck with the man who was clearly in defensive mode over his girlfriend. The knight cleared his throat and said, “Well what did she say to you then,” the knight trying to sound unintimidated as possible.

Orga looked over at his tiny partner and said, “Similar stuff to what you just said. They must have drained her magic then wore her down with the gravity. The also drugged her with some kind of potion. Plus I know that one of them could use illusion magic, because no one could see them attacking her and it even took me a minute to find them. Now is that all of your questions or can I take my partner to a physician?”

The knight just nodded and said, “We are very grateful. Tell your friend to not worry and reassure her that the Rune Knights will deal with the men. You should also tell her that she an incredible mage to have held them off for so long, even without her magic. Oh, and my men found what must be her bag. Here,” then the knight handed Lucy’s travel bag over.

Orga turned around and started heading back over to the blonde when he heard the knight ask, “One more thing. What are your names and guild so that we can pay you for your services?”

Orga kept walking away and simply said, ““My name is Orga Nanagear of Sabertooth. My partner’s name is Lucy Heartfilia of Fairy Tail, send all the payment to her.”

The knight gasped in shock. He now knew why the large man looked so familiar. He was none other than Saberthooth’s Lightning God Slayer and the beautiful woman with him was Fairy Tail’s own sweetheart Celestial Wizard. But why were those two together? What would she see in a gruff man like him? The knight nearly passed out at the thought but looked at the large man walking away from him and thought that the Sabertooth mage was a very lucky man indeed.

Orga reached Lucy and gently lifted her up again. He needed to find a doctor. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the small boy that he ordered to find the authorities hiding behind a tree looking at him. Orga sighed and said in an exasperated voice, “You can come out. I know you are there.”

He heard the boy gasp; however, the boy slowly came around the tree and looked up with wide eyes at the man who single handedly kicked all those bad men’s asses.

Orga then asked, “Hey kid, do you know where I can find a physician? My partner is hurt.”

The boy’s eyes fell on the young woman who the Lightning Mage was holding close. The boy thought that the woman must be an angel, because had never seen someone so beautiful. He saw that he Lightning Mage was waiting for an answer. The boy jumped and said eagerly, “There is an old man at the edge of town who helps people when they are sick. I can take you to him!”

“Fine, let’s go,” Orga said quickly. He wanted to hurry and help his partner as fast as he could.

 

* * *

 

After visiting the physician, Lucy finally started to wake up. Orga also had the boy who helped him find the physician go and get more food supplies. Orga didn’t want to continue on the journey if Tiny wasn’t up for it, but she had convinced him that they should go as far as they could tonight.

Orga was worried. Tiny wouldn’t look at him. He assumed it was because she was upset about the men, but why wouldn’t she look at him? Was she mad at him for leaving her?

The physician finished bandaging up Lucy and said, “My young girl, you are very lucky. The few scratches you have will heal up in no time; however, you might be sore for a day or two. Furthermore, here is some medicine I want you to take some now and the other dose before in a few hours. This will help counterattack some of the effects of the potion those men gave you. Now make sure to get plenty of rest and drink a lot of water. By this evening you should feel your magical energy coming back.”

Lucy kept looking down and weakly replied, “U-um, th-thank you.”

The physician just smiled at the young girl and patted her knee gently. The physician turned to Orga and said, “Please follow me young man and let your girlfriend rest just a few more minutes.”

Both Lucy and Orga blushed at the physician’s assumption of them. Orga thought that it could look like that they were a couple with the way he carried her in. He didn’t know what to think of that. He saw Tiny and she looked embarrassed. Orga turned before Lucy could see his face and followed the physician out of the door.

The physician then said, “Your girlfriend will need to rest this evening. I know she insists on traveling further. She will be fine riding, but do not let her try to help with anything. She needs to regain her strength. Plus you will need to keep an eye on her and take care of her, because she could have some mild side effects from the potions.”

Orga inwardly moaned. He didn’t know how to take care of anyone. There was the one time that Rogue wanted to take Yukino out to a resort, so Rogue left Frosch with Orga for the night. Orga was scolded by Yukino the next day, because Orga let Frosch stay up late and eat too much fish frozen yogurt. Orga thought Frosch seemed happy and that was a good thing, so he let the little Exceed do what he wanted. But then Frosch was sick the next day from all the food and staying up late. So if Orga couldn’t take care of a little Exceed, how in the hell was he supposed to take care of Tiny? Plus would she even let him take care of her? She nearly had a heart attack when he saw food shaped like her body. What the hell was he supposed to do?

The physician clearly saw worry in Orga’s eyes and chuckled. The physician then said, “Don’t look so worried my boy. Your girlfriend is very lucky to have you. You should also be very proud of her for being strong. You two make a good team. Do not blame yourself for what could have happened. Instead, you should look forward to what you can accomplish together. That is all a relationship really is.”

“She is not my girlfriend,” Orga said and realized the words came out harsher than what he intended. It wasn’t that he was ashamed of Tiny. But Orga believed that the truth was, the beautiful blond girl lying in that bed in the room next door hated him for everything that happened at the games, including tonight. She would never be able to forgive someone like him.

The physician smiled sadly at the large mage and said, “Well I am sure a strong man like you can change a lovely girl’s heart. Now don’t keep her waiting any longer. Go get the rest of your supplies, let her rest here a little longer, and then when you return she is free to leave.”

Orga hesitated. He didn’t like the thought of leaving Tiny again so soon after the attack. Without looking at the physician he said, “Will she be ok here?”

The physician knowing that the mage before him was struggling simply said, “She will be just fine. I have cared for many patients over the years. She is in safe hands.”

Orga could sense that the man was not lying with his magic. So he grabbed the food supplies that the boy had brought back and then used his magic to teleport back to the magical vehicle. Within less than ten minutes, Orga was already at the physician’s house and helped Lucy up into the seat next to him. Orga thanked the physician and paid him for his services.

The physician watched as the mages drove away from his house with a smile on his face. The physician said out loud to no one, but with a mischievous glint in his eye, “Good luck my young friends and good luck Lightning Mage. My own magic can sense that tonight you are going to need all of the help you can get.”

 

* * *

 

Lucy sat next to Orga as they drove towards the base of Mt. Hakobe. Lucy didn’t know what to say. She was upset at herself, her head hurt, her body was sore, but most of all she felt like a failure. Everything the men said and did scared Lucy. What would have happened if Orga hadn’t shown up in time? Lucy shuddered at her own thoughts. It was at times like this she wished she didn’t have the imagination of a writer. The thoughts of what could have happened were making her feel sick.

Orga noticed her shudder. He didn’t know what to say. He felt like an idiot for not staying with her. He knew she was probably replaying everything that happened to her in her head over and over again. He wouldn’t let anything else happen to her. Besides what happened to her wasn’t her fault anyways. Orga was getting angry, not at her, but at himself again. He gruffly said, “Tiny, you should quit thinking morbid thoughts. You are fine. They didn’t get to do anything.”

Lucy heard the anger in Orga’s voice. She wondered if he was mad that the physician thought that they were a couple. She knew he, like Laxus, would never be interested in someone a weak as her. She shouldn’t let stuff like this bother her. However the fact was Lucy felt useless. At the games she could do nothing to help her team. Sure she and Yukino were the ones that closed the gate, but still she lost to Flare. She lost to Minerva. She was captured. She was useless.

Then today when Orga wasn’t around, she wasn’t strong enough to take care of six perverted men on her own. She had to be saved by someone again. She had to be saved by a man who could care less about her. She felt like she always let everyone down. Lucy felt like she let her team down constantly for not being a strong as them. She also felt like she let Laxus down today, because once again she was weak. She felt like she was going to let Master Makarov and Master Mavis down; how was she supposed to complete this mission. Why was she so special? Now she felt like she was going to let Orga down. She meant nothing to him and yet he saved her. She delayed their mission by a few hours and he was clearly mad at her. Lucy felt like running away and hiding.

Before Lucy could protest to her body’s actions, tears started streaming down her face. She couldn’t hold them back. She was scared, she missed her team, and she hated her weakness.

Orga could sense and smell the tears coming from his new partner. He realized that he sounded too harsh when he tried to talk to her, but he really didn’t know what to say. He was never one for words. He quickly tried to think of an example that would help him now, but he was getting so distracted by Tiny’s tears that he couldn’t think strait. He remembered once when he saw Yukino crying that Rogue went up to her and put his arm around her. It seemed to calm Yukino down, so without overthinking the situation Orga gently reached over and awkwardly patted her back and said slowly and calmly, “Look Tiny, I am not good with words, so I am sorry if I sounded angry but you should know I am not angry at you. I am only angry at those men and myself.”

Lucy looked up at the man in shock. Was he trying to comfort her? Lucy’s mind was hazy still from the potion so she didn’t know if she was assessing the situation correctly. All she could feel was defeat. She meekly said, “I’m sorry.”

Orga didn’t know how to react to her words. “What the hell are you sorry for Tiny?” Orga asked deeply confused by her words.

“I’m so weak and useless!” Lucy nearly gasped out, the tears streaming out of her eyes even faster. “My team always has to save me! I am weaker than everyone else! I was pathetic at the games! I was so terrible that this is the first request anyone has even put up for me! Now I have a partner who hates me and I am so stupid that I can’t even take down six stupid perverts by myself!” Lucy knew she would normally never admit to any of this, but the medicine was still taking hold of her.

Orga was shocked at her confession. Why would she admit this to me? Orga took his eyes of the road for a moment to look at the girl next to him. She was bandaged and her eyes were filled with such sorrow. He felt his chest tighten at the site of her face. She should never look like that. He liked her smile. He didn’t think she was stupid. He knew at the games Sabertooth acted like a bunch of assholes towards everyone. He remembered laughing at her and thinking she was weak then, but now he knew that wasn’t the case. This girl next to him was the fuel in Fairy Tail’s fire. When Minerva tortured the girl, he thought that her teammates were going to be murdered on the spot. Then the way Titania kicked Minerva’s ass during the final games, just because of what Minerva did made almost every man shudder. Orga knew now, no one messed with this girl or it would mean retribution from Fairy Tail.

However, Tiny’s words still bothered him. So she was still upset at the about the games? Wait…she also sounds upset because I saved her? “Tiny, you should know that after the knights showed up they said that you were very lucky and strong. They said that those men had been targeting woman for a while now and you seemed the only one who put up a decent fight.”

Lucy sobbed out, “But I still couldn’t defeat them on my own! My magic wasn’t strong enough!”

“Would you want another girl dead tonight Tiny?” Orga’s brow furrowed as he asked.

Lucy looked confused and sniffled, “What are you talking about Lightning Rod?”

“If we hadn’t been in Oshibana today, the chances are very high that another woman would be dead tonight,” Orga stated.

Lucy hadn’t thought of it that way. When she pondered on what the man next to her had said, she was glad that everything seemed to work out. She still felt like crap, but at least she knew that those men couldn’t harm anyone else ever again.

Lucy wiped away some of her tears and said, “I suppose your right Orga, but I am still mad that I couldn’t stop them myself.”

Orga almost chuckled at her reply. Tiny just kept surprising him. “Well they were freaks with weird ass magic, so don’t be too hard on yourself. Besides, we are partners. The truth is I shouldn’t have left you in the first place.”

Lucy blushed slightly at Orga being so open—well open for Orga. She put her hand gently on his arm, looked up at her new partner and said, “That is true, but I am not mad at you Orga.”

Orga looked down at the girl next to him. The starry sky reflected in her big brown orbs. He wanted to gasp at her beauty. She continued to stare into his eyes and said, “Thank you for saving me partner.” Then a smile spread across her face.

Orga’s heart nearly stopped at her smile. Was he a becoming a pansy or what?! Why was this girl not angrier at him? Why was she so mesmerizing? He couldn’t predict what she would do or say next. Orga looked back at the road, because he didn’t want to receive another Lucy Kick from the girl. He didn’t want her to think he was a pervert for starring too long. He finally managed to say in a solemn voice, “You’re welcome Tiny.”

Lucy kept smiling but then let out a yawn. After the day’s events she was exhausted. Orga noticed her yawn and said, “You should probably take your medicine and get some rest. I will wake you when we stop for the night.”

Lucy just nodded her head at the man and did what he suggested. She was too tired to argue. The potion from earlier tasted weird and made her feel weird. But she did what the physician and Orga said. She took out the potion and swallowed the contents. She immediately felt her head get light and before she passed out on the spot. She climbed in the back and muttered out, “Goodnight Or-chan,” before letting her dreams take her.

With Orga’s god-like abilities, he heard what Tiny muttered and was glad that it was dark to hide the blush on his face.


	9. Chapter 9

Lucy looked up at the stars and let out a content sigh. She loved the feel of the warm sand under her skin, the sound of the ocean as its waves met with the beach, and she loved the smell of the fresh ocean air. Lucy was completely content at this moment. The beach was so peaceful. She loved coming here when no one else was here. Her skin seemed to glow in the moonlight as she admired all of the constellations in the sky.

Lucy looked up when she heard footsteps walking towards her, but never could she have imagined the glorious site that she beheld when she did. There was Laxus Dreyar walking towards her with no shirt on, black swimming trunks, and a beach towel slung over his shoulder. His abs looked delicious, his chest was the manliest she had ever seen, and his huge biceps shone in the moonlight. Lucy could feel her insides burn as she eyed the man coming towards her. She soon met his stormy blue eyed gaze and when she did she saw a broad smirk across his face.

“Blondie I always had you pegged for a closet perv,” Laxus said in a confident tone.

Lucy had been caught red handed, but she had too much pride to admit that she was checking him out. “Hmmmmpphh…Don’t be so sure of yourself Laxus. I was just making sure you weren’t a pervert. I am out here all alone and I am very beautiful. Any man would want me,” Lucy said turning her head away from the Lightning Dragon Slayer while using her arms to push up her breasts more.

Lucy could hear him lay his towel down next to her and then she felt a large muscular arm wrap around her torso. She was just about to kick Laxus when she felt his warm lips brush gently against her ear. With a deep growl he said, “I know any man would want you Blondie, but I sure as hell am not going to let any other man have you. I am going to make sure you know that you are mine and mine alone.”

Lucy gasped and her heart race picked up. Lucy was blushing bad and all she could manage to ask in almost a whisper was, “La-xus, what are you talking about?”

Laxus chuckled deeply at the reaction he got out of the blonde. He quickly turned her around so that they were face to face, barely any space between their two bodies. Lucy couldn’t help but admire the way his muscles flexed as he leaned on one arm and she met his gaze again.

Laxus let go of her waist, much to Lucy’s sadness, but then cupped the side of her face with his hand. He leaned in closer to her face and said, “If you didn’t want a man to admire you so much then you shouldn’t have worn such a sexy bikini, especially one that is my favorite color.”

Lucy’s heart nearly burst from her chest when she saw his lips so near hers. The bikini was a gift from Cana, whom she would have to thank later; it was a black string bikini that left hardly anything to the imagination. Lucy actually only wore it tonight, because she didn’t think anyone would see her in it. She tried to regain some composure, but this man—this incredibly sexy man had set her body ablaze. She attempted to move away, but then his arm wrapped around her again.

“Laxus what are you do-,” but Lucy’s question was cut off when Laxus’s lips crashed down onto hers. In that instant Lucy forgot all reason and any intention of moving away from the man. Instead, Lucy gave into him and wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him deeper into the kiss. She ran her figners through his lush, blonde hair. God this man’s kiss was nearly enough to send Lucy over the edge.

In a flash, Laxus quickly flipped Lucy on her back and positioned himself between her legs. He broke away from their heated kiss and Lucy let out a whimper at the loss of contact. He looked down at her. His eyes sparked with excitement and said, “See I knew that you wanted me.”

Lucy narrowed her eyes at the man above her and was about to tell him to get off of her, when he continued, “You have no idea how long I have wanted to do this to you.”

Laxus then began kissing her neck. Lucy’s anger melted away as Laxus once again began to ravish her body. In between kissing Lucy’s neck, and working his way down, he said, “Blondie after tonight you will never be interested in any other man as long as you live. I plan on taking you over and over again every day for the rest of our lives.”

Lucy could only moan in response as Laxus’s hands roamed along her bare sides and sliding under the strings of her bikini.

Laxus worked his way to her cleavage and then licked along the string holding the poor excuse for a swimsuit up. Laxus added, “I want to hear you moan my name all night long. I want you to scream out in pleasure. Believe me when I say, there is no way you will be able to walk away after I am done with you tonight.”

After Laxus’s statement all Lucy could muster was, “Oh god Laxus!”

He smirked at her response and quickly grabbed her so that they were sitting up. Lucy was now sitting on top of the large Dragon Slayer with her legs wrapped around his torso. Laxus hungrily began kissing her and massaging her body. Lucy moaned out, “Oh god Laxus take me now!”

Laxus grabbed her bikini top and quickly undid the strings, then sent the skimpy piece of clothing flying across the beach. Lucy let out a squeal of delight at the man’s actions. Their eyes met again and then Laxus’s expression changed to a somber one.

Lucy looked at him in shock and said, “Laxus why did you stop?”

He kept looking at her with the same expression and finally said, “Tiny, you need to wake up.”

“Eh?” Lucy squeaked.

“TINY LET GO OF ME AND WAKE UP!” Laxus yelled before everything went dark.

Lucy’s eyes fluttered open. She felt groggy. Her eyes then widened in surprise when she saw that she had her arms wrapped around Orga’s neck and was pulling him closer to her face.

“KKKKYYYYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!” Lucy screamed.

 

* * *

 

Lucy had just climbed in the back of the magic vehicle to sleep. Orga was still blushing from Lucy calling him Or-chan.

Orga couldn’t understand what this girl was doing to him. This morning they were just complete strangers from two different guilds. Then in this short day they had already come to respect one another. Who was this girl? Orga started to understand a little why Fairy Tail was so protective of the tiny Celestial Mage. He enjoyed being around her.

Orga thought about when the men from the pub had Tiny and he realized that like Dreyar, he lost control. He didn’t want another man touching her like that. Is that how Dreyar felt? Was Dreyar worried that something was going to happen between him and Tiny?

Orga’s brow furrowed at his thoughts. He was just so damned confused and didn’t want to think any more about his predicament. Instead Orga focused his thoughts on the road ahead and contemplated lyrics to a new song he wrote.

After a few hours, Orga finally decided that he should call it a night. It was nearly 10 p.m. and he hadn’t eaten anything since the pub. He quickly looked around for a clearing, somewhere where they would be off the main roads.

He soon found a nice clearing that was near a small lake and Orga decided that it was perfect. He quickly grabbed some firewood and then blasted it with his lightning to start a fire. He then made his way back to the vehicle and looked in the back at his partner. The blonde was still sound asleep and had a small smile on her face. He decided not to wake her just yet, because the physician did say she needed her rest and Orga didn’t want to disturb Tiny when she looked so peaceful. Instead, Orga quietly removed their camping and food supplies and got to work.

Orga was just about finished setting up the tent when he saw a flash of gold light filled the camp area. Orga didn’t need his god-like senses to tell him that Loke had just appeared, so instead he started to gather the food supplies so that he could make a quick stew for him and Tiny.

Orga was getting the utensils ready when he heard the spirit clear his throat and then Loke said, “I am sure what you are doing is fascinating but I have something to say to you Orga,”

“Oh really?” Orga replied while keeping his voice very disinterested.

Loke’s eyes flashed at the man. This Sabertooth mage was completely infuriating to Loke. Loke had no choice but to sit by while his master was being attacked. He kept trying to push through the gate, even on his own power, but the weird magic of her attackers kept him at bay. Loke just sighed and said, “I don’t want to stay too long because I know that the Princess needs her sleep and us two fighting is not something she would tolerate or need right now so I will keep this short. We want to thank you for protecting our master when we could not. We tried everything we could to get to her, but her attackers’ cancellation magic kept us at bay. Virgo and I can pass through our gates on our own free will, but they had something that still kept us away somehow. So thank you Sabertooth mage for taking care of her when we could not.”

Orga kept preparing the food and simply said, “I didn’t do it for you.”

“I know you didn’t do it for us, but that doesn’t mean we are any less grateful. However, Lucy has a kind heart. She forgives people easily, sometimes too easy in my opinion. Just remember if you hurt her you will regret it,” and then with another flash Loke disappeared.

Orga just sighed at the spirit’s disappearance. Tiny had some strange friends, but Orga did think about what the spirit had said—that Tiny forgives easy. He couldn’t help but hope that maybe someday she would forgive him for his treatment towards everyone, including her, at the games.

After the stew had finished, Orga decided it was finally time to wake his sleeping partner. Orga stopped dead in his tracks when his senses picked up something surprising. Arousal? From Tiny?

Orga very carefully walked to the back of the magical vehicle, opened the door, and look inside. There was Tiny still lying out on the seat, but she was starting to turn and then she let out a long moan. Orga saw that she had a smile on her face and then he muttered “Dammit, Tiny is having a wet dream!”

Orga looked around in panic. Where the hell was that dumb ass spirit of hers now?! Orga could feel his pants tighten at the sounds his blonde partner was making. Gods of all the things this was embarrassing as hell. He looked away from her and tried to ignore her and he finally said, “Hey Tiny get up!”

There was no response.

Orga was beyond annoyed now. This girl was putting him in some pretty compromising positions today. Then he heard it. The word that made his chest tighten and world nearly crumble, “Laxus,” Lucy mumbled.

That was it for Orga, he had been through hell and back today with this girl and he wasn’t about to let her go off and have some fantasy with that wannabe Lightning God Slayer. He jumped into the back with her and shook her as gently as he could and said, “Tiny, you need to wake up.”

Lucy mumbled again and quickly rolled over and then threw her arms around Orga’s neck. “What the hell?” Orga grunted. Orga tried to pull free, because he didn’t want Tiny waking up and seeing him on top of her. Orga lost control he couldn’t stay in this position any longer, he wanted to but he couldn’t, so he yelled, ““TINY LET GO OF ME AND WAKE UP!”

Orga saw the blonde’s eyes flutter open. Orga thought that Tiny looked out of it and then she realized what she was doing and yelled, ““KKKKYYYYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!

God this woman could scream. Orga quickly moved away and covered his ears, when Lucy released her death grip on him, and he said grimly, “You should come eat if you are done having dreams about Dreyar.”

Lucy’s heart was pounding in her chest and her head was spinning. One minute she was with Laxus and now she was in a vehicle with Orga. What the hell was happening to her? Lucy’s mind was clouded from the medication. She was now remembering that she was supposed to do something important with Orga, even though she couldn’t remember what. Wait. Orga said dream about Laxus. Lucy frowned realizing that Laxus was not around. She really liked what they were doing before.

Lucy tried to stand up, but then fell over. Orga was already walking away when he heard her fall to the ground. He let out a sigh and said, “You ok Tiny?”

Orga flinched when he began to hear Tiny crying. He slowly turned to look at her and she was sitting on the ground by the car rubbing her foot. She looked at him with tear filled eyes and cried out, “OR-CHAN, I HURT MY FOOT!!!”

Orga stood there looking at her; he wasn’t sure what to do. Lucy started crying more when she saw the Lightning God Slayer just standing there. She began to wipe her eyes and said in a pathetic voice, “Or-chan will you carry me like you did earlier?”

Orga began to sweat. What the hell was she thinking? What the hell was in that medicine? He remembered the old man saying there could be side effects. Orga quickly grabbed the bottle from the car. It had a message that said:

**PLEASE USE CAUTION WHEN TAKING THIS POTION. IN MANY CASES IT HAS BEEN KNOWN TO CAUSE A DRUNKEN LIKE STATE THAT CAN AFFECT THE USER. IT HAS ALSO BEEN KNOWN TO CAUSE VIVID DREAMS AND IDEAS.**

Orga then noticed that in a smaller font it said:

_Look at the other side Lightning Mage._

On the back, there was a note to Orga from the physician that said:

_I know you said that the beautiful young girl was not your girlfriend, but maybe after tonight she will be! Good luck my young friend and I hope you have about thirty babies!_

Orga crumpled the note in his hand. He was fuming that the little old dirty bastard physician would put him in this type of situation.

Orga turned back to his partner who was still sitting on the ground with crocodile tears coming down her face. Orga cleared his throat and said, “Tiny, I think you can walk, it is just a little ways.”

Lucy began crying harder and said, “Or-chan hates me! Or-chan doesn’t like me! Or-chan is mad at me for hurting my foot!”

Orga was panicking now, Tiny was clearly out of her mind from the medicine. He walked over to her and said in an unsure voice, “Ummm…I am not mad at you Tiny, just surprised. Is your foot ok? Do you want me to look at it?”

Lucy’s spirits picked up when she found out that Or-chan wasn’t mad at her. She smiled at him and said, “I want you to kiss it better Or-chan!”

Orga froze at Tiny’s exclamation. He had to think fast. He couldn’t take advantage of her like this, especially when she clearly had feelings for Dreyar. But wasn’t she dating the Fire Dragon? Orga cleared his throat and said, “Tiny I thought that you were dating the Salamander?”

Lucy looked confused and then cracked up laughing, “Or-chan, I am not dating Natsu! He probably doesn’t even know what sex is!”

At this statement Orga actually started laughing. It was a deep booming laugh that made Lucy’s heart happy. A smile spread across her face as she heard his laugh.

Orga saw her smile but then got serious again. He looked at her and said, “Ok, well if you aren’t dating the Flame Brain then what about Dreyar?”

Lucy eeped at the question but then said shyly, “La-laxus and I aren’t together. P-plus I think he would never like someone as weak as me.”

Orga studied the blushing girl. He could tell that even in her medicated state that she believed what she was saying was true. He let out a sigh and thought about all the events today. Orga ran his fingers through his hair and then said, “Ok Tiny I will carry you. I will take a look at your foot and then you should eat something.”

At Orga’s statement Lucy threw her first up in the air and yelled, “NNNYYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!”

Orga just sweat dropped at Tiny’s cat sound and her excitement. He gently put one arm under her leg and the other around her back and lifted her off of the ground. Lucy immediately started giggling and wrapped her arms around the large mage’s neck. Orga stiffened at the close contact. Earlier when he carried her she was nearly unconscious so she wasn’t moving, but now she was pulling him closer to her.

Lucy looked up at the man carrying her and said, “Or-chan I like your body! You are nice and warm! I like your muscles too!”

Lucy then leaned in closer to him and pressed her boobs against his chest. Orga couldn’t look at her and just continued walking towards the fire he had prepared earlier. He tried to stay calm and not get turned on, but Tiny wasn’t making it easy for him. Tiny was beautiful, but he didn’t want to take advantage of her. Orga replied sternly, “Thank you.”

Lucy started to giggle again, but before she could say anything else they had reached the camp site Orga made. He gently sat her on a log near the fire and then went to get the first aid kit. Lucy began to squirm as she waited for him. She wanted Or-chan to hold her again. She felt safe when he held her.

Orga returned a few moments later and then asked, “Ok Tiny which foot hurts?”

“This one,” Lucy said as she pouted and pointed to her right foot.

Orga just sighed and gently pulled off his partner’s shoe. Lucy wasn’t paying any attention though. She got distracted by Orga’s hair. She thought the color of it looked like the mint part in mint chocolate chip ice cream. Then she suddenly had the urge to taste it.

Orga started to say, “Tiny it looks like there was only a small pebble in your shoe. You will be fi-,” but then he was cut off when Lucy grabbed a handful of his hair and pulled him towards her face again.

“Or-chan, I want to taste you!” Lucy yelled as she tried to pull him closer.

Orga’s eyes popped open and he used his magic to teleport across the other side of the camp. He took a few deep breaths before asking Lucy, who was now clapping her hands at his magic, “What are you talking about Tiny?”

“Or-chan’s hair looks like ice cream. So I wanted to taste it,” Lucy said while smiling at him.

Orga sighed; his mind had jumped to a much more perverted area than his partner’s had. He asked her, “Tiny does your hair taste good?”

Lucy thought about that for a second and then put some of her hair in her mouth. She tried to spit it out and said, “Yucky, my hair doesn’t taste good.”

Orga shook his head, he didn’t mean for her to try and eat her own hair, but it did prove his point. He started to get some bowls for them and said, “Well if your hair doesn’t taste good, then mine won’t taste good either.” Orga then filled the bowls with stew and handed one to Lucy with a spoon.

Orga tried to go on the other side of the camp to sit when he heard her start sniffling. Orga asked, “What is it now Tiny?”

“Or-chan’s mad at me again for trying to taste him. Or-chan doesn’t even want to sit by me,” Lucy said as the tears started forming in her eyes again.

Orga sighed and decided to sit next to her, just so she would stop crying, “Alright Tiny I will sit by you if you promise to eat your dinner and keep your hands to yourself.”

Lucy beamed up at her friend and said, “I promise Or-chan!”

During the meal though, Lucy had difficulties concentrating. She kept commenting on Or-chan’s amazing cooking skills, or how he should use his magic again, or that she thought the fire was too loud.

After the meal, Orga grabbed their dishes and quickly went to wash them by the lake. When he returned he stopped dead in his tracks. Lucy was standing in the middle of the campsite with her top off and was flaunting a light blue lacey bra. Lucy turned to her partner and yelled, “Or-chan let’s take a bath together!”

Orga quickly grabbed her shirt, threw it back at her and yelled, “TINY PUT YOUR CLOTHES BACK ON!”

“But Or-chan I feel dirty and I don’t want perverts to watch me bathe, so you should come help me” Lucy said while sticking her bottom lip out.

Orga tried to look anywhere but at his busty partner. He tried to stay calm and managed to say, “Is there a spirit that can help you then? But don’t you dare call out that idiotic playboy or I will fry him.”

Lucy jumped up and tried to wrap her arms around him, but he pushed her away. This girl was going to be the death of him. Lucy yelled excitedly, “Or-chan you are soooo smart! I have a maid but I won’t punish her so don’t worry!”

Orga didn’t know what that was supposed to mean, but he heard her call out Virgo. The maid appeared before them and said, “Punishment, Hime-sama?”

“Oh, Virgo you are so funny! No punishment but will you help me and Or-chan bathe? We don’t want perverts watching us,” Lucy said while throwing her arms around Virgo.

Virgo looked at her smiling master, who had once again lost her layering tank tops, and then looked at the Sabertooth mage who had his back to them and who was clearly uncomfortable.

“Hime-sama, you wish to bathe with this man?” Virgo asked.

Orga cleared his throat and said, “I told her to call you out. The potion that she was given earlier is making her act weird. Please take care of her.”

Virgo smiled at the man. Virgo was actually already aware of what was going on with her master, because she had already been watching from the spirit world. Partially because she liked this side of her master and partially to make sure that the Sabertooth mage didn’t do anything. After watching the past hour’s events, Virgo started to respect the Sabertooth Mage. Not many men would be so thoughtful if they were put in similar situations.

Virgo looked back at her master who was now trying to remove her belt and skirt and said, “Hime-sama, I will escort you to the lake. Do not change yet.” Then before Lucy could protest that Or-chan wasn’t coming with them, Virgo grabbed her master and headed towards the lake.

 

* * *

 

The next several minutes were some of the longest of Orga’s life. With his God-like hearing he could hear Virgo trying to help his partner bathe. But the blonde wasn’t making it easy on the maid spirit either. He kept hearing Tiny say, “Virgo, the water is too cold! It is making my nipples hard!” or “Virgo, do you think Or-chan wants to join us?” and then the one that made Orga groan and have to readjust his pants was, “Virgo, I can’t hold my boobs up they are too big and heavy.” Orga couldn’t wait for his partner to be done so he could jump into the cold lake and cool off.

A few minutes later, Lucy and Virgo made their way back to the camp. Virgo changed Lucy into her pajamas already which were a tight light blue long sleeved shirt and an equally tight navy blue pair of long pants with stars all over them. Orga was just thankful that the girl was covered, but he couldn’t help but notice how even in her cute pajamas, that her ass and chest looked amazing.

With a bow Virgo left and before his partner could surprise him Orga said, “Tiny go lay down in the tent. Everything is already ready. Don’t even think about coming up to spy on me because I will hear you before you even get there,” then with a flash Orga left the camp. He needed to hurry and burn off some frustration and didn’t want the blonde asking what the bulge in his pants was.

Lucy pouted but did as she was told. Lucy plopped down on her sleeping bag, but she wasn’t tired yet. She was lonely without Or-chan around. Lucy then remembered that earlier Laxus had been with her. She started giggling when she thought about how he licked her. She missed him too. With a gasp Lucy remembered Master told her that she could call Laxus if she wanted to so that is what she decided to do. Lucy grabbed the communication lacrima from her bag and then thought of Laxus.

After a few moments, Lucy finally saw the sexy face from earlier. She let out a squeal of excitement and said, “Ohhhh, Laaaaaxxxusssss! I missssssseddd youu!”

The man on the other side of the lacrima blinked back at her a few times and then asked, “Blondie what the hell, are you drunk?”

Lucy nodded her head and like a cat and replied, “NNNNNYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAA!”

Laxus clearly upset finally asked, “Lucy is everything ok? Are you hurt? Why are you drunk? Where are you? Where is Orga?”

Lucy was overwhelmed by all of the sudden questions, her mind was still foggy, but she thought about it for a second and then replied pouting, “Laxus are you upset at me for calling you, because earlier you ran away and I missed you.”

Laxus didn’t know what she was talking about, “What are you talking about Blondie? I didn’t run away. You had to leave with Orga on the train.”

Lucy looked upset that he didn’t know what she was talking about, “Laaaaxxxuuuuss, not the train—but on the beach. You licked me and I really liked it.”

Laxus nearly dropped his lacrima at her statement. He had never licked the blonde before. He wanted to, but he thought she was dating Flame Brain. He looked at her with serious eyes and said, “Blondie I never licked you and aren’t you dating Natsu?”

Lucy pouted again and said, “You did too lick me! No I am not dating Natsu because he doesn’t know what I want, but you said you would take me over and over again, but now you are taking it back!”

Laxus gulped at the blonde’s words and he immediately started getting an erection from what she was saying. He had imagined doing that to her in his head several times and now here she was upset at him for not doing it. He sighed at how frustrating this all was. He then asked, “Ok, but why are you drunk?”

“I am most certainly am not drunk Laxus Dreyar! But I did have to take medicine that made me feel funny after the bad men attacked me,” Lucy said to the now worried and shocked looking Laxus.

“What the hell are you talking about?! What men?! Are you ok?” Laxus asked trying very hard to control his voice and magic.

Lucy just smiled and said, “I am ok. Or-chan saved me. Or-chan carried Lucy and made her feel safe.”

Laxus growled at the blonde’s statement and barked, “Where the hell is he now Blondie? Did he touch you?”

Then like magic, Orga appeared in the tent with his towel over his shoulder. He caught the end of Lucy’s conversation when he heard her say that he rescued her. Lucy looked up at her new partner and yelled, “OR-CHAN, MY HERO YOU ARE BACK! LOOK LAXUS IS HERE TALKING TO ME!”

Orga looked at the blonde in front of him and then looked down at the lacrima that was showing an extremely pissed off Laxus—who was now no longer in control over his magic.

Orga was exhausted from the day’s events, but decided if Tiny was having so much fun he might have a little fun too. He sat down next to his small partner who was beaming happiness and looking back and forth between the lacrima and himself. He wrapped one arm around the blonde and pulled the lacrima closer to his face. “Look Dreyar, we had a really long day and we are really tired so Tiny and I are going to go to bed now,” Orga said solemnly but with a slight amused look in his eye.

Laxus’s lighting magic was sparking all over his living room at the close contact between Blondie and Orga. Laxus yelled, “Dammit, take your hands off of her you Sabertooth bastard!”

Lucy gasped at Laxus’s anger and started crying. She looked at Laxus and said, “Laxus don’t be mean to Or-chan he saved me because I was too weak. Don’t fight Or-chan. Or-chan is too nice!” Lucy started bawling as she thought about the two handsome men fighting.

Laxus’s magic stopped when heard at how upset she was. Lucy was muttering something about how Laxus threw away her favorite swimsuit too. All Laxus could say in return was, “Blondie…”

Orga then said with a frown on his face, “Dreyar now look what you did, you made Tiny cry. I guess we should go before you upset her more. Come on Tiny it is time for us to go to bed.”

Laxus about lost control again at the thought of Orga sleeping next to Lucy, but before he could say anything Lucy said happily, “Goodnight Laxus, I hope we can go to the beach again soon!”

Then Orga cut off the communication to the lacrima, and smiled on the inside knowing that Dreyar was probably going to be up all night pissed. Orga tucked away Lucy’s lacrima back into her bag and then he got into his sleeping bag. Lucy was so happy. She got to talk to Laxus again and she got to spend more time with Or-chan.

Orga looked over at the blonde who still had a goofy grin on her face and said, “Look Tiny it is after midnight and we have a long way to go tomorrow so you should get some sleep.”

“Ok Or-chan I will!” and Lucy snuggled down into her sleeping bag.

Orga kept hearing Lucy giggling across the tent and after several minutes he finally noticed that she was calming down. Orga was just about to drift off when he felt two large breasts press up against his arm and then felt a leg wrap around his torso.

“Or-chan I am cold, can you keep me warm?” Lucy asked in a pouty voice.

Orga moaned and thought that this was going to be a long night.


	10. Chapter 10

Lucy slowly opened her eyes and blinked away her sleepiness. She tried to move her hands to rub her face when she realized she couldn’t move. She quickly looked down at her body and saw that her sleeping bag was tied shut around her body. She looked like a giant burrito.

Lucy was about to yell, when she gasped and the events from last night flooded her memories. Lucy moaned and realized that she deserved to be wrapped up and unable to move. She turned bright red and was completely humiliated by her actions the night before.

 

* * *

 

**(Night Before)**

“Or-chan I am cold, can you keep me warm?” Lucy asked in a pouty voice.

Orga moaned and thought that this was going to be a long night. He replied to his medicated partner who now had a firm latch onto him, “Tiny, I think it would be best if you lay on the other side of the tent.”

“But Or-chan I don’t want to. You are so warm and being next to you makes me feel safe,” Lucy said as the tears started again and she tried to wrap around him tighter.

Orga’s eyes met Lucy’s and in her medicated state she couldn’t place the look on his face. He solemnly replied, “Tiny you shouldn’t trust people so easy. We barely know each other. What if I am not as nice a guy as you think?”

Lucy blinked at the question and said, “But you are nice. I can tell these sorts of things. I like you Or-chan and I trust you; you protected me because I am weak.”

Orga raised his hand to her face and said, “Tiny, please quit saying you are weak. You have the love and respect of almost everyone you meet. That is not weakness.”

At her new partner’s words, a huge grin spread across Lucy’s face. She nodded her head and said, “Or-chan I am so glad you love me!” Then Lucy threw her arms around Orga’s neck which made her boobs press into his face.

“TINY WHAT THE HELL? I NEVER SAID I LOVED YOU!” Orga yelled as he tried to undo her death grip.

“Yes you did. You said I have the love of everyone I meet. We met. You llllllllllllllllike me,” Lucy said and mimicked Happy.

Orga quickly grabbed Lucy and put her back on the other side of the tent, he was about to go crazy. He knew how attractive his new partner was and how half of Fiore wanted to bang her—including his new Master. Now here he was with a very compliant girl in his hands and he couldn’t do a damn thing about it. When Orga turned his back to Lucy he could hear the tears start up again, but this time they were different—this girl was being manipulative, she was faking tears.

Orga went back to his sleeping bag, turned his back to her and said, “Tiny I can tell you are faking it, so go to bed now.”

Lucy pouted since he found her out, so she tried a new tactic. She wanted to be by Or-chan. She quietly said, “But Or-chan I am scared, I don’t want the bad men to come back when I am sleeping. What if they get me and you can’t find me because I am too far away.”

There was silence for a moment and Lucy continued, “Maybe Laxus would like to sleep with me, I should call him again and ask if he wants to sleep together.”

Orga quickly responded in almost a growl, “Fine you can sleep next to me but if you try anything you won’t like what I am going to do to you.”

Medicated Lucy beamed at her small victory. She quickly moved her stuff back over next to him and let out a sigh as she felt his warmth. However, the longer Lucy laid there the more discontent she was. She liked it when Or-chan held her. “U-um Or-chan will you hold me?”

“No,” Orga replied sternly with his back still facing her.

Lucy was upset that Or-chan was being so mean to her. Since he decided he wasn’t going to hold her, she was going to hold him. In one quick movement, Lucy wrapped her arm around Orga’s waist and pressed her body against his back. She felt him stiffen at her contact when she said, “Or-chan I like it when our bodies touch. I like that your shirt is off so I can see your muscles,” Lucy giggled as she started tracing his biceps.

Then Lucy paused as if she was contemplating something very profound; but then asked, “Or-chan, do you want me to take my shirt off too so we match?”

Without waiting for a reply Lucy grabbed the bottom of her pajama shirt and started to lift it over her head; however, Orga was faster. He quickly grabbed her and wrapped her in her sleeping bag. He grabbed some rope and gently tied it shut so she couldn’t get out.

Lucy tried to protest for a few minutes, but her partner continued to ignore her. After five minutes of struggling, the medicine took its toll on her again and she finally drifted off to sleep.

 

* * *

 

Orga was outside of the tent already preparing breakfast. He could hear Lucy waking and moaning as she probably remembered the events from last night.

Orga was relieved once Tiny finally fell asleep; however, he didn’t dare try and undo the binds he put on her in fear that she would wake up and start all over again. He kept replaying everything she had said and did that day in his mind. Orga knew that everyone loved his new partner, but he didn’t know how he felt about her.

They have only spent a day together and yet he couldn’t stop thinking about her smile, her laugh, the funny things she would say, and especially the way her body felt against him last night.

Orga determined that he was being punished by some greater entity for all of the horrible things he did before Sting became master, because that is what it felt like. Orga grew disgusted at himself for knowing that if he would have been put in this situation before this last year’s game, he would have screwed her all night long. He would have taken advantage of her and not have given a second thought about it.

Orga tried so hard to keep her at bay last night and then he grew ashamed of himself again. Last night for the first time in his life he felt something: jealousy. He laid awake thinking about it for a long time. Orga realized that he was jealous because Tiny had a dream about Dreyar and then called him in the tent while he was cleaning up. Then it nearly sent him over the edge when Tiny said she was going to ask Dreyar if he wanted to sleep with her. That bastard Dreyar would have jumped at the chance Orga was sure. Orga was sure that Tiny felt something about the other Lightning Mage, but he didn’t know what. Hell he didn’t even know how she really felt about him.

Orga was confused by Tiny’s actions; the way she gently touched him and then when she said she trusted him. What did he ever do to deserve her trust? Yes he saved her, but she is his partner what else was he supposed to do.

Orga wasn’t a hero. In fact, up until recently he was quite fine with being the villain. After the games, Sabertooth changed. Everyone apologized to Yukino. Sting became Master. They became guild mates instead of ravenous dogs fighting for their master’s scraps. Then one day Sting made an announcement—that our guild should act more like Fairy Tail. That Fairy Tail actually cares about one another, but since Sting sees everything as a competition he wanted us to care about each other more than Fairy Tail cares about each other. Orga wasn’t good at letting people in. He had his few friends at the guild and they were fine that he was a solemn person. He remembered that when he apologized to Yukino it was one of the hardest things he ever did. Not because he wasn’t sorry, but because he didn’t like to open up to anyone. Now here he was about ready to go on a three week mission with a girl who had already made him laugh, horny, protective, and gentle. And now he was feeling jealousy. The thought of Tiny and Dreyar together really pissed him off. But what struck him the most were his feelings about the past day was how he already started caring for the girl.

Orga’s thoughts were interrupted when he heard her start to struggle again in the tent. He sighed knowing that they would have to face each other sooner or later. He didn’t know how the rest of the day was going to be. Tiny seemed to embarrass and get angry easy. Orga braced himself before stepping into the tent to untie his partner.

When Lucy heard Orga enter the tent she couldn’t look at him. She felt like an idiot and wanted to Lucy Kick herself. How was she supposed to face him after everything she did? She practically threw herself at him and then she kept calling him Or-chan. Lucy wanted to hide under a rock and die. How was she supposed to be alone with him for the next three weeks? But then a sinking feeling came into her stomach. She knew after the three weeks were up then she would have to face Laxus too. She wanted to cry at the thought of facing the handsome blonde again. She blushed at remembering her dream with him, but then how she told him he licked her and she liked it. He was probably going to be disgusted with her and avoid her more.

Lucy was pulled from her thoughts when she heard Orga ask, “Tiny, are you ok with me untying you?”

Lucy couldn’t find the words in her to speak back so she slowly nodded her head. Orga gently bent down and untied her from the binds he made the night before. He could tell by her pulse and the blush on her checks that she remembered everything and that she was really embarrassed.

After he undid the binds, Orga cleared his throat and said, “I have almost everything packed already I made some breakfast if you want some.”

Lucy just laid there on the ground—afraid to move or to speak. She still had the sleeping bag loosely around her and she wanted to pull it up over her head until this was all over. Orga sensing her discomfort left the tent to give her some space.

Lucy eyed him as he left. Now she felt more like an idiot. Orga told her to stop calling herself weak last night, but now she just felt plain useless. So far on this job she had been captured, rescued, drugged, medicated, and perverted. Orga was probably hated her. Lucy began to feel self-conscious because she remembered how last night Orga kept looking away and trying to push her off of him. Lucy sighed and thought: Who am I kidding? He has probably been with tons of prettier girls than me. He would never find someone as plain as me attractive.

Lucy’s stomach growled as she stayed hidden under her sleeping bag. She knew she would have to face the Sabertooth mage eventually, but she didn’t want to. However, Lucy’s guilt for already feeling like a bother on this trip outweighed her embarrassment. She felt terrible for all of the trouble she had caused Orga so far, so she wasn’t going to hide from him and delay their trip further.

Lucy walked out of the tent and didn’t see Orga anywhere. Lucy didn’t know if she felt relieved that he wasn’t sitting there or more upset that he was avoiding her. She saw a bowl of fruit and some scrambled eggs that were left out for her. Looking at the food brought a pang to Lucy’s chest. Just yesterday she was cursing this man, because she thought he was going to make her do all of the cooking. Now here they were and he had made two meals, set a camp up, already packed up most of the camp, and took care of her while she kept trying to grope him. She didn’t think her mood could sink any lower.

Lucy finished her breakfast and noticed that Orga still hadn’t shown, so she silently called out Virgo. “Punishment Hime-sama?”

Lucy couldn’t look at Virgo either knowing what she put her poor friend through last night. Lucy kept starring at the ground and said, “Virgo can you show me to the lake, because I don’t remember how we got there last night.”

Virgo smiled at her master and said, “This way Princess. I will also get you some of your clothes when we are there.”

Lucy just solemnly followed Virgo to the lake and then washed her bowl. Virgo brought back some of Lucy’s clothes that she stored in the spirit world. Lucy mindlessly decided on her denim mini skirt, red tank top, and brown boots. She decided to pull her hair back in a high pony tail today, because she wasn’t feeling like her usual self.

* * *

 

After Lucy was done getting ready, Virgo gathered Lucy’s items and returned to the spirit world with a bow. When Lucy made her way back to the camp she saw how the tent had now been packed up too. Lucy was now convinced that Orga was avoiding her. She made a complete idiot out of herself last night.

Lucy made her way to the vehicle, when Orga just finished putting the last of their supplies inside. He looked over at the blonde mage and saw that her eyes looked sad and that she kept her eyes planted on the ground. Orga wasn’t trying to avoid her, but he thought she looked like she needed some space. After all, they were going to be stuck driving side by side for most of the day.

“You ready to go Tiny?” Orga asked unsure on why she was just standing there. Then he heard her heart rate pick up at an almost alarming rate when he spoke. Once again, Lucy couldn’t say anything and just nodded. He sighed knowing that this was going to be an awkwardly long day.

Orga and Lucy climbed up onto the magical vehicle and Orga took the SE plug first. Lucy didn’t object and just kept looking at her hands in her lap. Orga kept looking ahead at the road as they drove along and finally he said, “I will drive first and then we can switch after a while. We will stop briefly for lunch. I have already prepared sandwiches for us so it will be a quick bite and stretch before we start again. We should reach Shirotsume by nightfall.”

Once again, Lucy just nodded her head. Orga watched her from the corner of his eye. She kept looking down, but when he was talking he noticed that her adrenaline picked up from her nerves. He didn’t like how she was acting, but hoped that after a while she would go back to her cheery self.

After a few hours, Orga decided that it was time to stop for lunch. Tiny hadn’t said a single word the whole time and that made him more worried than when she was being crazy last night. He grabbed their lunches and some drinks from the back and handed them to her. They ate their meal in an awkward silence.

Orga had a hundred different things running through his head. What the hell is wrong with her? Is she still that embarrassed? Does she want me to bring it up? Does she want me to ask her what is wrong with her? Is she still ill? Orga finally decided that he would ask, “So are you ready to get back on the road? Do you want to drive for a little while?”

Once again Lucy’s answer to Orga was a nod. Orga watched as Lucy climbed into the driver’s seat and put the SE plug on, he carefully got in next to her and they headed on their way again. He wasn’t sure if she was feeling any better or not. He kept sensing odd vibes coming off of her all morning—from anxiety to fear. Orga was concerned at this point. Normally he loved the silence, but today was different. He wanted to know what was wrong. Orga cleared his throat and said, “Don’t push yourself too much today Tiny, you went through a lot yesterday so just try to take it easy.” Orga noticed that something seemed to click inside his busty partner, because he sensed a swarm of feelings all at once.

Lucy was livid at this point in time and screamed, “What are you afraid that you are going to have to put up with the pathetic Fairy if she pushes herself too hard?!”

Orga sat there in complete shock and then finally asked, “What the hell are you talking about, Tiny?”

Lucy harrumphed at the Sabertooth mage and said, “Don’t act like you don’t know!”

Orga was pissed. He hated it when people assumed anything about him, and he honestly had no clue on why Tiny was the one mad. He looked ahead at the road and sternly said, “Tiny you better start explaining yourself fast, because I have no idea what the hell you are talking about and I don’t like being accused of something—especially when I don’t even know what I am being accused of.”

Lucy was a wreck. She honestly didn’t know what to think. Lucy kept her eyes ahead on the road and finally said, “Orga, I know I messed up yesterday. I know you had to save me and then last night you had to do everything again by yourself. Plus I didn’t make it easy on you. I practically threw myself at you and you kept pushing me away. Then you even had to tie me up just to stop me. But then this morning you had to do everything again because I was too pathetic to help. You kept avoiding me. You have saved me, made meals for me, and took care of me. What have I done on this job so far? Not a damn thing.”

Orga’s suspicions were confirmed with what Tiny had been rambling on about. Every Fairy Tail mage was insane. He quickly tried to sort through everything she just said so that he could attempt to make a response, “First of all Tiny, last night we already talked about you being attacked. It wasn’t your fault. It was my fault for leaving you. As far as I am concerned we were both requested for this job so we do the job together.”

Lucy tried to object, but Orga held up his hand and said, “Let me finish. I also told you last night to stop calling yourself weak—well you can add pathetic to the list of things you shouldn’t call yourself. I don’t have weak or pathetic partners you got that?”

Lucy just nodded her head again at his statement, but this time she had a little blush on her cheeks. Orga tried to ignore the blush on her checks and said, “Also, don’t be hard on yourself for wanting my body because a lot of women do,” Lucy rolled her eyes as Orga continued, “Plus, you weren’t even aware of what you were doing. There were side effects in the potion that was given to you and I guess your side effect just showed how much you want my body.”

At Orga’s statement, Lucy finally let out a giggle and smiled. Orga was pleased that she was finally talking again and smiling, even if he to say things he would never normally say to someone. Lucy looked at him and said, “Well that still doesn’t mean I shouldn’t feel bad that I didn’t do anything to help with the camp and meals or why you were avoiding me.”

Orga thought about this for a moment and said, “I am glad that you didn’t deny your attraction to my body, so you more or less just admitted to it. Also, don’t worry about the camp and food because I usually do solo missions and I take care of that stuff by myself usually anyways. Finally, I wasn’t avoiding you. You seemed uncomfortable around me and I didn’t want you to be.”

Lucy was shocked by his declaration. The man next to her was really starting to grow on her. But then Lucy gasped and replied, “I never admitted to wanting your body so don’t get cocky!”

Orga turned to Lucy and let out a lecherous smile that made her shrink back, “Oh yes you did Tiny. You said you liked it when our bodies touched, when I had my shirt off, and that you liked my muscles.”

Lucy’s face was as red as a tomato. She was hoping that he wouldn’t have been listening to her rambling last night. She remembered what she had said, even if she couldn’t control what she was said, but that didn’t give him the right to use it against her. “Orga you said so yourself that I wasn’t aware of what I was doing so don’t hold it against me!” Lucy exclaimed nervously.

Orga chuckled and said, “Yeah you weren’t aware, but that doesn’t mean you didn’t want it. Why you even wanted to bathe together. I knew that Fairy Tail was full of drunks and perverts, but I wouldn’t have put you into that category until last night Tiny.”

“Remind me to Lucy Kick you when we switch drivers Lightning Rod,” Lucy muttered as she drove with her brows furrowed and face red.

Orga was enjoying himself, which was surprising to him, so he kept going, “It’s ok Tiny. All your actions last night were worth it, especially after you called Dreyar up and pissed him off.”

The sinking feeling in Lucy’s stomach came back when Orga mentioned Laxus. Lucy felt like an idiot. She knew Orga was not attracted to her, but for some reason it pained Lucy to think that Laxus didn’t like her either. In barely a whisper, Lucy said, “He probably hates me know.”

Orga looked over at his partner and saw tears starting to form in her eyes. He sighed because he knew damn well now Dreyar didn’t hate the girl. Not after Dreyar threatened him over her. Orga finally said, “Tiny quit thinking depressing thoughts. Dreyar doesn’t hate you; if he hates anyone he hates me. Plus you shouldn’t worry about what that wannabe Lighting God thinks of you.”

“But he is a member of my guild. I don’t want it to be awkward between us when I get back,” Lucy admitted still not convinced that Laxus didn’t hate her.

Orga crossed his arms over his chest and replied, “Tiny if I do not hate you for what happened last night, hell I am not even mad, then do you think someone of your own guild would hate you?”

Lucy just sat there thinking about what the God Slayer said before he continued, “Plus if you are so worried about it I will beat the crap out of him for you when we get back.”

Lucy couldn’t help but giggle at Orga’s statement. Lucy decided that maybe she didn’t have as much to worry about anymore. She felt a lot better and was no longer dreading the three weeks she would spend with the Sabertooth mage. She smiled to herself knowing that he probably said all of this just so she would stop acting weird. Lucy came to the conclusion that Orga must be a giant teddy bear at heart, but he just has a gruff exterior like Gajeel. Lucy also noticed that even though Orga didn’t seem to like to talk much, he sure had a way with words.

Orga looked over at his smiling partner and said, “Well Tiny are you feeling better or are you going to keep moping?”

Lucy looked into Orga’s eyes with a blushed face and laughed, “I feel much better thanks to you Or-chan.”

Orga just moaned at her statement, but was inwardly happy that his partner was now back to normal—well normal for Fairy Tail.


	11. Chapter 11

Laxus let out a long sigh. It had been an incredibly long day for him on the third day of the Grand Magic Games. He had to deal with his shitty Pops trying to take down his guild, his Gramps and Master Mavis had a secret, and now Fairy Tail was in more debt because Gray and Natsu just destroyed Ryuzetsu Land. Laxus loved being back in the guild, but he couldn’t deny that all of his guild mates and his Gramps were crazy.

Before heading back to his room, Laxus went to a pub to grab a beer. He needed to be alone for a bit and clear his head before he returned to the world of his crazy guild. Laxus went into a quiet and dark pub. There weren’t very many people inside, so Laxus went up to the bar to sit.

“What can I get for you?” The barkeeper asked him.

“Just a beer thanks,” Laxus replied.

The barkeeper filled up a large mug of beer and handed it to the Lightning Dragon Slayer and said, “It is on the house Fairy Tail mage. I saw your fight today and that was quite impressive. Plus in the past a few Fairy Tail mages saved my ass so consider this my thanks.”

Laxus just nodded at the man and took a long drink. Laxus sat at the bar alone just enjoying the silence when his nose picked up the smell of darkness mixed with perfume. He heard a woman walking towards him and could smell arousal coming off of her. Laxus just kept his eyes closed and continued to drink his beer when he heard someone sit in the bar stool next to him.

“Your fight was pretty impressive today Lightning Fairy. I didn’t think a guild full of idiots had someone as powerful as you,” the sultry voice said to him.

Laxus continued to ignore the woman next to him. He wasn’t in the mood for a quick hook up. He noticed that ever since he was kicked out of Fairy Tail, not only did he actually care about his comrades but hooking up with random women was no longer appealing to him.

Laxus could sense that the woman was annoyed that he chose to ignore her but she continued, “I’m sure a man as strong as you is no stranger when it comes to showing a woman want she wants,” the woman purred as she started to stroke the furs on the hem of Laxus’s coat.

Laxus looked over to the barkeeper and said, “Thanks for the beer,” before getting up to walk away.

Laxus could sense that the woman was now furious and she said coldly, “What is the Lightning Fairy too afraid to handle a powerful Sabertooth mage or do you have some pathetic Fairy Trash to get home to?”

This woman was really starting to piss Laxus off. He just wanted to be left alone to drink a beer, not to come and have his guild insulted. Before walking out Laxus said, “Any woman in Fairy Tail is worth more and has more appeal than someone who whores herself out to someone just because they are strong.”

Laxus could feel a sudden surge of weird magical power before it suddenly disappeared again. The woman he had been talking to stepped in front of him to block his exit. He finally looked at her and saw that it was the woman from Sabertooth that Natsu called Minerva. Laxus wanted to kick Natsu’s ass for breaking into the Sabertooth hotel to pick a fight with their master the night before, but he knew Erza would punish Natsu instead. He overheard Natsu say that this woman kidnapped Happy and was going to hurt him if Natsu didn’t leave. Clearly this bitch was cruel.

Minerva looked into Laxus’s eyes. She smirked at him before saying, “You will regret your choice of words tomorrow Lightning Fairy. Plus, I just wanted to give you the chance to taste real power—I have another Lightning user who can get the job done for me.” Then without another word the woman disappeared.

Laxus just sighed as he started to make his way back to the hotel. When he reached the hotel Fairy Tail was staying at it was already dark and he could tell most of his guild mates were passed out from alcohol. Laxus just shook his head and muttered, “Bunch of drunks,” before he made his way up to his room.

Before Laxus opened the door to his room he got the whiff of warm strawberries—Blondie. He turned around to see the blonde bent over with a passed Happy on her head and dragging Natsu down the hall. He could hear her mutter, “Stupid jerk eating too much and then passing out, while Erza is off running around with Jellal, and Gray arguing with Lyon and Juvia. My team is full of bakas.”

Laxus was amused by the tenacity of the Celestial Mage. He remembered being surprised when Natsu chose the girl as his partner, but then thought that maybe it was because Natsu finally grew up and decided to notice females like the rest of men of Fairy Tail. But after watching her on Tenroujima, her beating his own teammates twice, and already during the games he started to see why everyone liked, no loved, this girl—including his perverted Gramps. She had guts and heart. She had to be strong if she was best friends with Erza, Gray, and Natsu.

Laxus could see that the girl was struggling trying to carry the unconscious Fire Dragon Slayer so he said, “Oi Blondie do you need help with that?”

“KYYYYYYYAAAAAAA!!!” Lucy screamed and backed up towards the wall.

Laxus let out a sigh, because he realized he probably just scared the shit out of the girl. “Blondie, don’t be so loud or I won’t help,” Laxus said looking at the nervous girl.

“U-um ok L-laxus. You don’t have to help though. It is ok I am actually pretty used to my crazy team,” Lucy replied but started fiddling with her keys, “Besides I don’t want to bother you.”

Laxus just walked over and grabbed Natsu by his shirt and dragged him into Fairy Tail A Team’s room. Lucy eeped when she saw Laxus’s rough treatment towards her partner. Laxus then threw Natsu on one of the beds. Lucy and Laxus heard Natsu mumble, “Laxus you bastard fight me,” but then the Fire Dragon Slayer fell back asleep.

Lucy let out a giggle at her unconscious partner and gently sat Happy down next to the sleeping Dragon Slayer. Laxus watched at how gentle she was with the Exceed and then watched as the blonde brushed Natsu’s hair back from his face with a smile. Lucy looked over at Laxus and blushed before she said, “U-um, thanks for your help Laxus and I am sorry that you had to take care of Natsu and Gray earlier. Sometimes they can get out of hand.”

Laxus just shrugged and said, “Its fine Blondie. Goodnight.”

Laxus walked out but not before hearing the blonde say goodnight back.

As Laxus stepped into his room, everything went black. He couldn’t sense, smell, or hear anything. He knew he was no longer inside the inn the guild had stayed at during the grand magic games.

Laxus finally saw a strange orange light in the distance and trees everywhere. Laxus was in a forest at night. Out of curiosity he started heading towards the light.

After, several minutes he finally reached it and saw that it was small campsite. At the edge of the campsite he saw a large black tent. Laxus started looking around but then froze when he heard a woman moan. Laxus realized that the moan came from the tent and wasn’t sure if he should check it out not. Then Laxus heard, “OH GOD!”

“BLONDIE!” Laxus yelled and knew that it was Lucy’s voice. Laxus quickly ran over to the tent and pulled back the entrance to help his guild mate.

Laxus froze and felt his blood run cold with what he saw as he entered. Inside the tent, Laxus saw a naked Lucy sprawled out with a man on top of her. Orga. Laxus tried to call on his magic to fry the bastard for assaulting his friend, but he found that he couldn’t summon his lightning. But then he saw the look on Lucy’s face as she cried out, “ORGA DON’T STOP!”

Laxus felt sick and then everything went dark again as he heard Orga say, “I told you Dreyar, I would make sure she came back satisfied.”

 

* * *

 

Laxus awoke with a jump. His body was covered in sweat as he tried to take deep breaths. He ran his hands threw his hair as he remembered his dream about the events during the Grand Magic games, but then it switched to the Laxus seeing Lucy and Orga in the woods together. Laxus felt hopeless at everything. He felt stuck as he had to watch Lucy go off with a Sabertooth mage—one that had been close to that Saberbitch, and do God knows what on a mission.

Laxus swore and got up and made his way to the shower. He turned on the faucet as cold as it would go before he stepped in and let the water cover his body. He could tell that his heart was still racing from the dream.

Blondie was so innocent. He knew he probably dreamed of what he saw because of what happened last night. Blondie had called him up at almost midnight and started talking nonsense. Laxus remembered how the Celestial Mage said he licked her and she liked it, plus how he said he would take her over and over again. Laxus moaned at remembering how good that sounded when she said it. He knew he never said or did such things to the girl. He wanted to, but he thought that she was with Natsu. He remembered how his heart jumped when she said that she wasn’t dating the Flame Head. But Laxus had no right to feel that way. Blondie deserved someone like Natsu or Gray—they were her friends. Whereas he was just a prick who treated her like nothing more than a piece of hot ass before he rejoined the guild. He hardly knew anything about her. He didn’t feel he had a right to know.

Laxus had to go back out and train some more after his conversation with blonde last night. He hated hearing how Blondie had already gotten herself into trouble. Then he hated more than anything hearing how that Lighting God Slaying Bastard saved her. She called that bastard her hero. Laxus just had to sit and watch how Orga put his arm around Lucy and she did nothing to push him away. She seemed fine with it. Laxus was irate at the way things had turned out. How the hell had Orga and Lucy already gotten so close? What the hell happened between those two? It was gnawing away constantly at Laxus’s mind. He was jealous. Laxus scowled at the thought. His chest hurt when he realized that in all honesty, he had no right to be jealous. He probably didn’t mean anything to the blonde girl other than being a guild mate and that bothered him. But his dream seemed so real. What if that bastard took advantage of her last night? Laxus felt like punching something. Laxus knew that if he would have known where the two mages were last night he would have used his own magic to teleport there as fast as he could.

With a heavy sigh, Laxus finished showering and then changed into his maroon pants and black sleeveless shirt. He grabbed a quick breakfast before teleporting to the guild. He knew he wasn’t ready to go back just yet, but his Gramps would probably be calling him to find out where he was if he waited any longer.

As he entered the guild, he was thankful to see that it was still early enough for not many people to be there. He was sure that the topic of discussion was still Lucy and Orga. Laxus nodded to Mira as he walked by her and went up to his grandfather’s office. He entered and saw Master Mavis sitting on her favorite bookshelf and his Gramps in his chair behind his desk with a serious expression.

“What’s wrong Gramps? You don’t normally look so serious this early in the morning,” Laxus asked as he plopped himself down on the couch.

Master Makarov looked up and his grandson with a somber expression and said, “I just got done speaking with the Rune Knights. Apparently Lucy already found herself into some trouble in Oshibana.”

At his grandfather’s words, Laxus’s body stiffened and he clinched his fists. He knew from his conversation with Lucy last night that she did get in some sort of trouble, but didn’t know that the Rune Knights were involved. Without looking at his Gramps, Laxus asked, “What kind of trouble?”

Master Makarov sighed and said, “Early in the evening yesterday a group of men targeted Lucy as their next victim. Apparently this group of men has been targeting young, pretty girls by drugging them, having their way with them, and in some instances killing them.”

Laxus felt his entire body go numb when he heard that. What if Blondie would have been next? But Laxus’s thoughts were interrupted when his Gramps continued, “From what the Rune Knights told me, Lucy put up a fight but the magic of the men targeting her was extremely vicious magic. The men managed to cancel Lucy’s magic out so that even her spirits weren’t able to come out of their gates to help her. Then from what the knight’s said, they could also use an illusion like magic which means no one was able to even see Lucy being attacked in the center of town. Luckily for our dear Lucy, Orga was able to sense her through the barrier and save her in time. The knights also said Lucy was the only girl who was able to withstand the men for so long thus giving Orga enough time to find her and save her.”

Laxus clenched his teeth and realized that he had been an idiot. Here had been jealous of the thought of Orga saving Lucy, when if Orga hadn’t saved Lucy she could probably be dead now. The thought of Lucy dead made Laxus feel sick again.

Master Makarov said, “Yes, this morning Sabertooth and Fairy Tail both received a special thank you on behalf of the council, because of Lucy and Orga stopped the wanted men,” then Makarov laughed and said, “Lucy will be thrilled when she hears that she received a full reward, instead of having to pay for a town being destroyed by the rest of her team.”

Laxus just sat there in silence. He was glad that Blondie was safe, but why was she targeted to begin with? How were those men able to get to her so easy? Where the hell was Orga when she was first being attacked?

Makarov could see that his grandson was in deep thought, so he cleared his throat and added, “Laxus, you do not need to worry. The knights said that Lucy was fine—only a little banged up and that Orga was taking her to a physician.”

“I know she is fine,” Laxus grimly said.

“Oh? How do you know she is fine?” Master Mavis finally entering in on the conversation asked.

Laxus realized that he probably shouldn’t have said anything, because now he had two Fairy Tail masters looking at him with eager gazes. He sighed because he could tell that he said too much and they weren’t going to just let him drop it. Finally Laxus said, “I know she is fine, because we talked briefly last night.”

“WHAT? WHEN? HOW? WHY?” both Fairy Tail Masters asked Laxus with heats in their eyes.

Laxus flinched back as he watched them eye him with excitement. Laxus crossed his arms and said, “We spoke on the communication lacrima and all I know is that she is fine.”

Both Masters looked at each other, but in their heads they were thinking, “They lllllllllllllikes each other.”

Master Makarov smiled at his grandson not wanting to push him any further, for today at least, on the subject and said, “That is good my boy. Now if you would be so kind I have a stack of paperwork for you to do, because of Natsu and Gajeel’s mess. Plus you should know, I heard from Erza this morning and she should be here the day after tomorrow. Now I am going to go have a drink. Have fun!” Then with a quick dash for the door Master Makarov left before Master Mavis could get on to him for drinking so early in the morning.

Laxus just shook his head at his grandfather’s antics and went over to the desk to do the paperwork. Laxus sat down at the desk and tried to ignore the eyes that were drilling into him from across the room. After a few minutes, Laxus couldn’t take it anymore and finally asked, “What do you want Master Mavis?”

Master Mavis had a slight smile on her face and said, “I think there is more to your story than what you are letting on Laxus.”

Laxus looked up at the now amused First Master with a scowl on his face and asked, “So?”

“Well it isn’t good to keep things bottled up Laxus. Your Grandfather gave you the day off yesterday, because you needed it. Yet today you are in no better of a mood; in fact, I think you are even grumpier today than usual,” Mavis said with certainty.

Laxus went back to his paperwork. He wasn’t going to confide in an astral being, even if she was the First Mater. Who knew that Fairy Tail’s First Master would have been this tiny girl always interested in everyone’s business?

When Mavis saw that Laxus had no intention of answering her she decided to use some of her great Fairy Tactician power and said, “Well if you don’t want to talk, I guess I can go tell Mira that I think you are in love with Lucy.”

Laxus jumped up so fast that the chair he was sitting in hit the back wall and he yelled, “WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? I NEVER SAID I LOVED BLONDIE AND DON’T YOU DARE SAY ANTYING TO THAT GOSSIPING DEMON!”

Mavis smiled knowing that she won and replied, “Well you can either tell me why you talked to Lucy or I can go talk to Mira,” then Mavis started walking towards the door in an attempt to get the solemn Lighting Dragon Slayer to talk.

“All right, I will tell you what happened if you just stop!” Laxus replied knowing that she defeated him. There was no way in hell he wanted Mira to know something about who he might like. He would never hear the end of it.

Mavis looked at Laxus with a gleam in her eyes and said, “Ok spill!”

Laxus groaned and said, “Last night Lucy called and I noticed that she wasn’t her normal self. Apparently the physician that she went to see gave her some weird medicine, so she didn’t know what she was even doing—at least from what I can gather. She said Orga saved her and that she was fine.”

“Hmmmmmm…I don’t think that is the whole story Laxus,” Mavis said.

“That is all I am saying on the matter,” Laxus stated firmly.

“Was this medication making Lucy act drunk?” Mavis asked.

Laxus eyed the First Master and wondered how she could have gleamed so much from what little he said. Laxus just nodded his head at her question.

Mavis smiled and said, “Then I think there is more to the story Laxus. You see I have seen Drunk Lucy in action and I think she called you for a reason.”

“What do you mean you have seen Drunk Lucy in action?” Laxus asked now curious.

“That is not important at the moment Laxus, what is important is what did Lucy really say to you?” Mavis asked excitedly.

But the Lightning Dragon Slayer wasn’t giving in to the First Master so easily. Even though Master Mavis was one of the few people he was somewhat comfortable talking with, he wasn’t about to share all of the sexual things Lucy declared to him. Then Laxus remembered his dream and how he felt when he thought how Lucy could fall for Orga.

Mavis saw Laxus’s eyes go from being annoyed with her to sad. Mavis knew not to question him further about what Lucy said, but tried another route, “Laxus, do you know why your Grandfather gave you the day off yesterday?”

Laxus was pulled away from his depressing thoughts and replied, “He said I needed to think about why Lucy going away with Orga bothered me so much.”

“Well what conclusion did you come to?” Mavis asked.

“I didn’t really come to one,” Laxus admitted.

Mavis frowned at the Dragon Slayer. He was strong enough to take down a Wizard Saint, but he couldn’t figure out how he felt about someone. “Laxus, I think one day you will be a great Master of Fairy Tail but, you need to work on letting people in.”

Laxus looked stunned at the First Master’s statement. Laxus gave up wanting to be master when he returned. He was content with his Gramps being Master—even if the old man was a perverted old fool. He was fine watching his guild mates be crazy, get drunk, and just have fun. Laxus had no idea that the First Master thought so highly of him. Finally Laxus just said, “The only conclusion that I came to was that I have no right to interfere with Blondie’s life.”

Now it was Mavis’s turn to sigh. Mavis asked slightly annoyed now, “Are you upset because she is going away with one of Minerva’s team mates and former lovers? Or are you upset because Lucy might end up forgiving Orga for what he did at the games? Or do you somehow feel guilty because you think what Minerva did was partially your fault?”

Laxus looked down. The first part of his dream last night was real. He remembered how Minerva came onto him at the bar the night before the Naval Battle. That day when he watched Minerva torture Lucy, he couldn’t help but feel responsible. If he hadn’t pissed her off she might not have done that. Laxus told his Gramps and Master Mavis about what had happened when the request came through for Lucy and Orga, but they told him that it wasn’t his fault. Laxus wasn’t convinced.

Mavis seemed to know where Laxus’s mind drifted off to and said, “Laxus even if you didn’t turn down Minerva’s offer, she would have still done that to Lucy—or even Juvia if Lucy would have fallen out before Juvia because that is the type of mage she is. Minerva preys on those weaker than her, because she enjoys it. You are not to blame for what happened to Lucy.”

Laxus felt somewhat better after hearing Mavis’s statement, but he was still pissed that Lucy had to go with Orga. Mavis continued talking and said, “Laxus do you think if you told Lucy what happened to you that she would be angry?”

Laxus thought about the question for a moment and then said, “No that damn girl forgives everyone—hell I heard she even forgave Flare for what happened.”

Mavis smiled at Laxus’s response and said, “Yes. One of Lucy’s greatest strengths is her heart and ability to love. That is why she would make such a good wife for a future Fairy Tail master.”

“OH WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT NOW!?” Laxus yelled at the First Master who now had hearts in her eyes again.

Mavis just giggled at the reaction she got out of the Dragon Slayer, but then grew serious again and said, “Laxus, Lucy is loved by many people in this guild, in other guilds, and even in other worlds. I am not blind either Laxus. I noticed how Lucy Heartfilia was one of the first people to welcome you back. She respects you and cares for you. I also know that you are not blind. I think you see how everyone loves her. She affects every member of this guild in some way or another—almost as though she were master too.”

Laxus and Mavis’s eyes met as she continued, “Laxus there is something else you need to consider in all of this and that is the fact that you and Orga are not so different from one another.”

Laxus was about to object when Mavis cut him off and said, “Hear me out. I know that before Tenroujima you were power hungry and tried to take over the guild. You considered those weaker than you as useless. Now think about Orga. How did he act during the games?”

Laxus sit there contemplating everything Mater Mavis said. He had to admit what she said hit him pretty hard. There wasn’t a day that went by when he didn’t regret everything he did to his guild mates.

Mavis seeing that what she was saying was sinking into Laxus’s head continued, “Laxus you were in this room when your grandfather questioned Sting about Orga and Minerva over the lacrima. Sting admitted that if Orga wanted to he could have taken the role as Master of Sabertooth after Jiemma and Minerva fled, because Orga was the strongest. Instead Orga told Sting to be master, because Orga didn’t feel like he deserved it after everything he did. If the title of Fairy Tail Master was suddenly given to you—I have a feeling that you might react the same way. I think knowing this bothers you, because in that action alone, Orga is a man worthy of redemption. Now with that in mind, do you really think Orga would jeopardize everything to harm Lucy?”

Laxus was stunned by the realization of what Mavis had said. However, Laxus was also extremely pissed off by it. He hated being compared to that wannabe Lightning Dragon Slayer. Laxus looked down at the paperwork, and on top of it was the newest report from the Rune Knights about Lucy and Orga, and then he said to Mavis, “Even if what you said is true, which I am not saying that it is, it doesn’t mean that I trust the guy and it doesn’t mean I am comfortable letting Blondie run off with him.”

Mavis smiled at the Dragon Slayer knowing that she got out of him all she wanted to, for today at least, and then said, “That is true. By the way Laxus, jealousy looks good on you. I am sure Lucy would find this side of you very attractive. When she gets back I think you two should go on a date.”

Then before Laxus could yell at Mavis for bringing up him being jealous, Master Mavis vanished. Laxus grumbled at the childish First Master’s last comment and started working on the paperwork. But every few seconds Laxus’s thoughts were interrupted when he thought about what he would do once Lucy returned.


	12. Chapter 12

Lucy and Orga finally reached Shirotsume early in the evening. They were both tired and hungry after spending all day in the magic vehicle and once they finally stopped, Lucy moaned and stretched her legs.

“Hey Tiny, I think we should find a place to stay first and then get something to eat. Tomorrow morning we can replenish what supplies we think we will need before we start the trek up to Samui Yama,” Orga said as he looked around.

“That sounds fine to me,” Lucy said as she stretched her arms over her head, “Wow this place looks a lot different than when I was here before.”

Orga and Lucy started walking as they looked for a hotel. “When were you here before Tiny?” Orga asked.

“Well my first real mission with Natsu and Happy was to come here and infiltrate a mansion and burn a book called DAYBREAK,” Lucy said and then continued to tell Orga the rest of the story about how the book was really called Dear Kaby and how she obtained Virgo later as a result of the successful mission.

Lucy noticed how Orga didn’t really say anything while she was told her story. Orga just walked next to her in silence and would occasionally nod his head when she told him something important about the Everlue Job. Lucy conveniently left out the part where the perverted Everlue didn’t think Lucy was “pretty” enough to be one of his maids. However, even though Lucy did most of the talking she noticed that Orga did not seem to mind—in fact he actually looked like he was listening.

The two tried several inns that were all full and Lucy started to get irritated because she was exhausted from traveling all day. The finally reached a hotel and got the last two rooms available. Lucy was relieved that she would have her own space for one night at least, because she couldn’t wait to take a long hot bath and didn’t want to have to share the bathroom. Lucy and Orga’s rooms were right next to each other at least and that made Lucy feel better.

After the two paid for their rooms, Orga carried their stuff up. Lucy was surprised by this because she didn’t ask the God Slayer to do this for her. Orga just grabbed Lucy’s things and took them. Lucy had to admit she did kind of like this about the older mage. Usually when she was on a mission with her team she had to carry her own stuff—not that she minded, but Lucy had to admit that Natsu and Gray were not very chivalrous and Lucy being a beautiful young girl did miss the occasional kind gesture of a gentleman.

Orga handed Lucy’s bag back to her once they reached their rooms and asked, “How about in thirty minutes we go get something to eat?”  
Lucy looked up and said, “Sure that should give me enough time to freshen up, but I don’t want to bother you. If you need to go get something to eat now you can. I can grab something later.”

“There is no way in hell I am going to let you wander around an unfamiliar town again at night—even if you have been here before. Over half a dozen men on the way here were getting aroused from just looking at you and I don’t want you to get into any more trouble,” Orga said firmly.

“O-o-oh, well ok if you are sure,” Lucy said now very self-conscious about the turn of events. Lucy was embarrassed because she didn’t notice any men, but then she was talking an awful lot on the way here. However, she felt a little depressed, because she thought that once again Orga helped her out and Lucy was upset that she didn’t pay closer attention to her surroundings.

Orga, as if reading Lucy’s thoughts, said, “Tiny don’t start getting all upset because I insist on coming with you. I know you are more than capable of handling yourself, but I just think it would be wise to not split up again after we have been traveling all day and we are tired.”

Lucy couldn’t think of anything to argue with at Orga’s statement and simply said, “Ok, I will see you in thirty minutes.”

Orga just nodded and was relieved that he didn’t have to persuade her anymore. The truth was when Lucy was telling her story he did notice several men eyeing his partner’s chest and ass. Orga sent quite a few death stares at the men and who all quickly turned around fled. He noticed how Lucy seemed to be oblivious to everything and was just enjoying the moment. Orga thought it was funny how different Fairy Tail was from Sabertooth (pre-Grand Magic Games). Fairy Tail mages were content with just living life to the fullest and not giving a damn about what others thought.

Lucy gave a quick wave to Orga and then entered her room. She was glad that tonight she would get to sleep in a nice big bed, instead of being tied up in a sleeping bag. Lucy quickly threw her bag on the bed and then called Virgo to get the rest of her things. Lucy grabbed her showering items and quickly jumped into the shower, as Virgo laid out a pale blue frilled dress with thigh high stockings (similar to Oración Seis arc outfit) for her to change into once she was done.

* * *

 

After she was done pampering herself, she thanked Virgo before Celestial Spirit disappeared and quickly started getting ready. Since time was of the essence, and Lucy only had ten minutes left before meeting Orga, Lucy called out Cancer to dry and fix her hair. With one minute to spare Lucy grabbed her keys and whip and stepped out of her room to meet her partner.

As Lucy stepped out of her room, she noticed that Orga was leaning against the wall waiting for her. Lucy felt her heart rate pick up at the sight of the muscular man. Orga also had time to get cleaned up and Lucy’s eyes could not help but linger over the Sabertooth mage’s body. Orga’s outfit was simple, but the simplicity of it made Lucy’s mouth water because it showed off his huge biceps and abs. Orga was wearing dark pants with a gray short sleeved shirt. The shirt clung to him and Lucy could see every flexed muscle all over his chest. His long hair also contrasted nicely with the colors. She thought Orga had the body of a god which was ironic since he used God Slayer magic. Lucy’s lustful thoughts were interrupted when Orga chuckled and said, “See Tiny, I told you that you wanted my body.”

Lucy’s face turned bright red from embarrassment. She hated how she has been constantly put at the mercy of her new partner already numerous times during this job. Lucy got angry and yelled, “Don’t flatter yourself Lightning Rod; I was more surprised that you could find clothes that covered your enormous body that is all!”  
Orga looked over at the blonde and before Lucy could kick him he leaned her up against her hotel room door, tilted her face up to look at his and said, “I think you were more curious about how to uncover my body, but I will let it go this time Tiny…come on I am hungry let’s get some food.” Then just as fast as Orga had Lucy pinned he turned around and left her standing still.

Lucy stood still as she panted and tried to catch her breath. Her head was spinning. What the hell had just happened? This man continued to surprise her. Lucy remembered how Natsu told her that during Orga’s battle on the first day against Warcry that Orga didn’t show any emotion as he fried his opponent, but then he surprised everyone by singing in front of the audience. The man was a complete mystery to Lucy. She could never predict what he was about to do next.

After Lucy’s heart rate when back down she quickly followed after Orga and started to think of ways she could get the man back. Lucy knew she was attractive and she always tried to use her sex appeal during her battles with Team Natsu, but then Lucy sweat dropped at her memories because every time she attempted to use sex appeal it usually failed. Lucy looked back up at Orga, who once again had an emotionless expression. How could he have just said those things to her a moment ago and not feel flustered from it? They hardly knew each other and yet they were already on somewhat of teasing terms with each other. Lucy thought about how they, well she, talked almost the entire way here. Lucy told him about a lot of her missions with Team Natsu and would often ask Orga about his missions. Lucy was already considering the God Slayer as a friend, but was that too soon? If she called him her friend would he make fun of her? Did he see her as a friend? She blushed at how he told her she wasn’t weak or pathetic. Why would a man she barely know care enough to tell her that? Did he really think those things?

Lucy wanted to scream at all of the questions running through her head when she heard Orga say, “So Tiny I saw a pub that smelt pretty good on the way here does that sound ok to you? It didn’t look as bad as the one from Oshibana.”

“That sounds fine with me Orga, I am starving!” Lucy said and her spirits picked up slightly. Lucy thought she would feel more tired from traveling today, but she felt a little excited and wasn’t sure why.

* * *

 

Lucy and Orga made their way to the pub that Orga mentioned and Lucy noticed that it had low ambient lighting and that there were actually quite a few people inside; however, it was still quiet because everyone seemed to be a couple. Lucy’s face reddened again when she realized how many couples were inside. Would people think that they were a couple again? Did they look like they were on a date? What if Orga would be embarrassed to be seen with her?

A hostess showed them to a dark booth in the corner and Lucy scooted in first followed by Orga. Lucy’s eyes hungrily looked over the menu. Orga was right everything smelt amazing in here and Lucy nearly started squirming in her seat out of excitement. She was also excited to be eating with someone who wasn’t going to be sending food flying everywhere while he ate and Lucy sweat dropped at the thought of Natsu eating here.

After a few moments, the waitress came up to take their order. Lucy was about to order when she looked up and realized that the waitress had leaned over and was giving Orga a big view of her cleavage. Lucy’s anger quickly ignited at what she was seeing. Lucy looked over to Orga who surprisingly was just staring at his menu instead of getting a view of the show he was invited to.

The waitress leaned in closer to Orga and asked with a seductive tone, “What can I get for you this evening.”

Orga continued to eye the menu as Lucy sat next to him fuming in anger, when Orga finally said, “I will get three steaks with fries and a beer.” Then he handed the waitress the menu without even looking at her and leaned back and closed his eyes.

The waitress looked annoyed that her seduction techniques were not working and then rudely asked Lucy, “and you?”

Lucy wanted to take her menu and slap it across the waitress’s face for being a hussy. “Hmmph…I want the shrimp with salad and a strawberry margarita,” Lucy said clearly annoyed.

The waitress and Lucy both shot dirty looks at each other before the waitress walked away to put in their order. Lucy sat in the booth and a dark aura started to grow around her because of her anger. Lucy was angry that the waitress started flirting with Orga in front of her. But then Lucy was mad because she didn’t know why she was letting that bother her so much to begin with. It is not like they were a couple. In fact they hardly knew each other, but Lucy felt her temperature rise again when she thought about how Orga leaned her against the door. She couldn’t wait for her margarita to get here to cool her off. Lucy came to the conclusion that she was mad at the waitress because the woman just assumed they weren’t a couple. Lucy knew Orga would never be interested in someone like her and that partially made her mad too.

“Hey Tiny if you are jealous you should just admit it,” Orga said with his eyes still closed.

Lucy jumped in the booth when Orga’s words finally broke her angry concentration and asked haughtily, “I don’t know what you are talking about Orga.” Then Lucy turned her head away from him and crossed her arms under her breasts.

The corners of Orga’s mouth turned up slightly into a grin and he said, “Well we have already established on this trip that you want my body, so it is pretty clear that you are jealous when someone else wants my body too.”

“Hmmmpphh…I am not jealous of anyone Lightning Rod,” Lucy said irritability, “Besides why would I be jealous of some hussy?”

“Well that hussy was kind of good looking.” Orga said slightly amused now—but more interested in getting a rise out of his new partner.

“If you are attracted to hussies than I suppose she was decent,” Lucy said a little upset that Orga did notice that the waitress was pretty.

Orga could hear the hint of sadness in his partner’s voice, but was confused as to why. Was Tiny really jealous of the waitress? Orga then said, “Well I am not interested in hussies they aren’t my type.”

Lucy’s spirits perked up slightly and she asked, “Well what is your type then?” Then Lucy wanted to slap herself. Why would she ask him something like that?!  
Orga simply said, “Don’t know, but I know what it isn’t.”

Now Lucy was annoyed again. She had to admit that she was curious as to what type of woman the God Slayer would find interesting. Lucy thought about this and determined that Orga would probably like someone like Erza or Mira. Orga would probably want a strong and beautiful woman that he could do dangerous missions with—than have hot amazing sex afterwards. Lucy started to get sad again, but blushed at the thought of sex.

However, Lucy attention was drawn to the waitress when she saw the woman coming back to give them their drinks, but Lucy also noticed that the waitress’s skirt was a tad shorter and one more button on her shirt was undone. Lucy was beyond pissed now.

As the waitress walked up to their table, she slammed Lucy’s drink down in front of her and then conveniently leaned down to give Orga his beer before saying, “Is there anything else I can get you?”

Lucy wanted to take her whip out and beat the waitress senseless, but then Lucy noticed how Orga didn’t even say anything back to the waitress. Lucy watched as Orga grabbed his beer and took a drink—without even acknowledging the other woman. Lucy was slightly happy about this but then felt somewhat bad for the waitress. Lucy thought that the waitress was a person after all and deserved some respect; however, the waitress shouldn’t have been trying to flirt with Orga so much.

The waitress saw that Orga was clearly not interested and finally turned around to leave their table in a huff. Lucy sat there confused, but realized that before this trip she actually wouldn’t have pegged Orga to really have conversations with people. This made her smile, because at least he was having conversations with her even if he was being a perverted jerk. This fact made Lucy feel, special.

Orga looked over and saw his partner smiling. He was so confused by this girl, he felt like he couldn’t understand what she was about to do next. Orga never tried to show emotions but this girl was the exact opposite. She didn’t care if people saw her angry, upset, or happy. Orga found it amusing that Lucy got so angry about the waitress; however, if she paid any attention to her surroundings she would notice that almost every male in the restaurant was staring at her. Orga was upset at himself for feeling upset by this, but at least he was good about hiding it unlike his new partner.

A few moments later, their food finally arrived and Lucy immediately dug in. Lucy was so excited that the food tasted just as good as it smelt and decided that tonight she would splurge a little, so when the waitress came back Lucy ordered a chocolate strawberry cheesecake too. Lucy realized that maybe Orga would think she was being a pig, but when she shyly looked over at the tall mage he didn’t even seem to acknowledge that Lucy ordered more food.

* * *

 

Lucy felt like she was going to pop after the meal. The shrimp and dessert were delicious. Orga and Lucy paid for their meal and slowly started heading back to the hotel. Orga said, “I was thinking that we should get the rest of our supplies at 8 tomorrow morning and then check out of the hotel. Someone in one of the shops should have a map or know of a trail that we should follow to the top.”

“Sure Orga,” Lucy said who was still had her thoughts on the delicious cheesecake she just ate.

Orga noticed that Lucy was already daydreaming again and decided to just let her be—the silence didn’t bother him. In fact, he also felt content by just walking next to the blonde. When they reached their hotel when Orga’s thoughts were pulled into defense mode when he sensed three people quickly coming towards them. However, he relaxed and nearly moaned when he realized that they were not in danger, but instead he knew he was about to be really annoyed again.

Lucy continued to smile but then jumped when she heard a sultry voice say, “You look as beautiful as ever Lucy.”

A second voice said, “Thanks to you being frozen in time, you can now call me Oniichan (Older Brother).”

Then a third voice said, “You are almost too cute in that dress.”

“EEEEEHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH?” Lucy screamed and looked up to see the Blue Pegasus Trimens posing in front of her. Lucy turned to the men and asked, “Hibiki, Eve, and Ren—what are you three doing here?”

Hibiki smiled at the Celestial Mage and said, “We were wondering the same thing about you Lucy.” The Trimens had a soft spot for the Celestial Mage and quickly shot dirty looks towards the Sabertooth Mage.

“Lucy-san where are Natsu and Happy?” Eve asked but his gaze still locked on the Sabertooth mage.

Lucy smiled at the Blue Pegasus members and said, “The rest of my team all got called out on special job requests—in fact the last I heard Erza was still out on a job with Ichiya and Nichiya. I am also on a special job request with Orga.” Lucy hoped that the three Blue Pegasus men could sense that she was fine and that they didn’t need to get so defensive.

Ren looked back and forth between Lucy and Orga then said, “Yes we just heard from Ichiya this morning apparently our teacher and Erza had already completed their special job request, but if it is alright in asking what kind of job request would want you and Orga?”

“That is really none of your business is it?” Orga finally joining in on the conversation stated firmly.

The Trimens looked like they wanted to obliterate the Sabertooth mage right there at Orga’s comment. “Actually Lucy-san is a dear friend of ours and we wouldn’t want anything to happen to one of our beloved Fairies,” Eve said as he stepped towards Orga.

Lucy could see that this encounter was about to unravel just as fast as the one with Orga and Laxus. Lucy quickly held up her hands and ran in between the Trimens and Orga and nervously said, “It is ok Orga they are my friends, I don’t mind them knowing,” then Lucy turned to the Trimens and said, “Orga and I are requested to go to Samui Yama to help a man named Mr. Yamagata. The job itself is pretty vague, but we have to be there the day after tomorrow to help him.”

Lucy noticed how the Trimens looked a little less defensive, which she found slightly funny; especially sense they were usually always so cool and handsome. Lucy added, “Orga and I have already had quite a fun time together, so I am sure we will be able to handle this mission. Besides our Masters wouldn’t have let us go if they thought it would be too dangerous.”

Lucy’s statement didn’t really appease the Trimens. They had more memories of Sabertooth and their past cruelty than Fairy Tail did; however, if Lucy said that Master Makarov was ok with it then there wasn’t much they could do. Finally Hibiki said, “Samui Yama is very dangerous to climb any time of year, do you know which way you will take? If you have to be there the day after tomorrow your options are very limited.”

Lucy looked at Hibiki and said, “We were going to finish getting our supplies tomorrow and then try to figure out which way to take.”

Hibiki thought on this and said, “Well I will look in my archives tonight and let you know if there is a way to make it easier on you.”

“Oooh, Hibiki that would be wonderful!” Lucy screamed ecstatically. Lucy had to admit that she was not looking forward to the location of the mission, because she didn’t know if Horologium would be able to make it the whole way.

Hibiki smiled at Lucy’s excitement and said, “Of course Lucy, I would do anything for you. In fact, I felt like you sent me a declaration of love on the first day of the Grand Magic Games.”

Orga wanted to growl at the casual intimacy between the pretty boy and Lucy, but Lucy looked confused and nervously asked, “L-love? What are you talking about?”

“You used Urano Metria on the first day. I thought that maybe you used it since I was there, but I see now that is not the case,” Hibiki playfully sighed and continued, “I wish though everyone would have been able to see it follow through, instead of Raven Tail cheating. That spell is very powerful and I was amazed that you were already able to use it with one of your spirits.”

“Hai, it would have been nice for everyone to see it instead of the battle turning out the way it did. However, Flare apologized for her involvement with Raven Tail so I don’t hold anything against her. She didn’t know any better. I have been practicing the spell though, because I would like to be able to cast it soon without Gemini’s help.” Lucy said with a determined look on her face.

“Well I am sure you will be able to accomplish that soon from what I could tell at the games,” Hibiki added. Hibiki couldn’t help but smile at the bubbly blonde before him. Lucy was so full of love and light. He didn’t like seeing her with the Sabertooth mage, but Hibiki couldn’t help but notice how comfortable Lucy seemed with the man. “Well we better get going. It was good seeing you Lucy and I will send you a message in the morning if I find anything in my archives about Samui Yama,” Hibiki said and then the Trimens turned to leave but not without each man trying to hug or kiss Lucy.

Lucy let out a relieved sigh after the Trimens disappeared. She liked the Blue Pegasus members, but sometimes when she was around them it was like getting hit on by three different Lokes. When Orga and Lucy reached their rooms Lucy smiled brightly at Orga and said, “Orga I hope you sleep well and go-.”

“Goodnight,” Orga nearly growled as he cut Lucy off and then he walked into his room and slammed the door shut.

Orga had to get into his room fast. He didn’t mean to sound so harsh to his partner, but Orga was getting pissed at how every male they encountered that knew Tiny thought he was going to do something. Yes, the old him would have done something—but Sabertooth was different now. He was different now. Plus he didn’t like the way Tiny seemed to have some sort of hold on every male she came into contact with, but then he thought how she already had some kind of hold on him too.

As Orga entered his room he grabbed his shower supplies and went into the bathroom. He stripped down and turned the shower on as hot as it would go and hoped that the heat would help ease his tension. As the water sprayed down Orga’s muscles his thoughts were drawn to his new partner. Orga felt bad for just leaving her in the hallway, but he had to get away from her because he felt too ashamed to stand there any longer. Orga realized that even though Sabertooth had changed, and he changed, people’s memories don’t just disappear. Orga was worried that maybe his new cheerful partner would start to see him the way everyone else sees him. What if she already did see him that way?

After Orga finished showering, he put on his boxers and a pair of athletic shorts and leaned back on his bed. He could still hear Lucy in the room next to him, because of his god-like hearing. He could hear her turn on her bath water. He groaned when he pictured what she must look like bathing.

Orga’s mind was interrupted when he noticed his communication lacrima light up. He rolled his eyes, because he already knew who would be trying to contact him. Orga looked down at the lacrima to see Sting Eucliffe’s smug face looking back at him. Sting yelled, “Yo, Orga-san!”

“What do you want Sting?” Orga said with an annoyed voice.

“HEY THAT IS NO WAY TO TREAT YOUR MASTER ORGA-SAN! YOU SHOULD SHOW PROPER RESPECT WHEN ADDRESSING YOUR MASTER!” Sting yelled defiantly at the God Slayer.

Orga could hear Lector somewhere in the room with Sting because he could hear the Exceed say, “Sting-kun is the best Master. No one would be as good as Master as him.”

Orga kept his face stoic and said, “Sting if you have nothing important to say then let me get my sleep.”

Sting’s anger went away and now he asked curiously, “Orga are you at a hotel?”

“Yeah why?” Orga asked, not really sure why Sting would ask such a stupid question.

“Is Blondie with you?” Sting asked now with his interest clearly peaked.

Orga narrowed his eyes and could now see where this conversation was going to lead but replied, “She has her own room Sting.”

A huge grin spread back across Sting’s face and he said, “Yeah a beautiful woman like that would not be interested in a meat head like you. She would be more interested in a hot body like mine. There is no way she would be sleeping alone if we did a mission together. Speaking of mission, Rogue gave me a letter today from the Rune Knights that said how you and Blondie took down a bunch of perverts, but that she was hurt from it. If she were with me they would not have laid a single hand on that beautiful body. What the hell were you doing Orga, slacking?”

Orga eyed his new master. He knew that Sting said most of that ridiculous crap because Sting thought every woman in Fiore wanted him because of his good looks, but Orga felt defensive at the way his master talked so casually about his new partner. “Tiny is fine, she doesn’t need your weak dragon magic to help her,” Orga nearly growled out at his master.

Sting raised his eyebrows at his friend’s comment and said, “Tiny huh? So you already have pet nicknames for each other. What does she call you? Thunder Ass?”

Orga was about to cut off communication when Sting yelled, “WAIT, WAIT ORGA-SAN I’M SORRY!”

Orga sighed and just looked back at the lacrima. Sting sighed in relief and just said, “Sorry Orga-san I just wanted to see if I could get you riled up,” then Sting smiled at Orga before he continued, “Plus I wanted to tell you good job. In the report, the knights said that they have searched for a while for these guys and you and Blondie were the first strong enough to stop them. I also wanted to tell you good job because you kept Blondie safe. I figured we would face more opposition from Fairy Tail when the request first came through, especially when it said Natsu-san couldn’t go with her. So keep up the good work so that Natsu-san knows that I am the best master out there with the best guild in all of Fiore.”

Orga listened to his master ramble and then replied, “Is that all or can I get some sleep now?”

Sting pouted at his friend and started to ask, “But Orga can’t you go get Blondie I wanted to thank her too, plus I wanted to tell her how I am such a hot, young master and that she and I shou-.”

Orga did shut off communication to the lacrima this time. He was tired of hearing men talk about Tiny and seeing how horny she made men. It drove him crazy. Orga felt a pang in his chest though when he realized that he had no reason to be upset. Orga knew he didn’t mean anything more to Tiny than just a temporary partner. Soon Tiny would go back to Fairy Tail and he would go back to Sabertooth. Orga’s jaw clenched as he stared up at the ceiling and thought about how in a few weeks Tiny would be back at Fairy Tail—with Dreyar.

 

* * *

 

Lucy lowered herself into the hot bath. The water felt so good on her skin and she couldn’t help but let out a content sigh as she felt her cramped muscles start to relax. However, Lucy was still upset by how the night ended. She didn’t know what she did to piss off Orga. Did she do something during dinner? Was it something she said to the Trimens? Lucy’s brow furrowed as she tried to figure out what she did wrong. Lucy couldn’t help but worry and wonder if maybe she didn’t do anything wrong and that Orga just didn’t like her, but that didn’t seem right. They were getting along really well until the Blue Pegasus members showed up.

Lucy thought it was weird how the Trimens acted while she was around Orga. It reminded her of how Laxus acted at the train station. Lucy’s face blushed when she remembered how Laxus kept her from falling yesterday. Then Lucy’s face moaned when she thought about her dream and how she called Laxus and told him parts of it she was so humiliated and didn’t know what to do. Lucy decided that tomorrow she would ask Orga if she did something wrong to him tonight, but Lucy still didn’t know what to do about Laxus. Lucy’s mind pictured the blonde Lightning Dragon Slayer and her pulse started racing. She remembered how good his lips felt in her dream and how erotic it felt when he licked her.

Lucy decided that it would be a good idea to get out of the bath and go to bed before she passed out from the steam in the bathroom and the memory of Laxus in her dream. Lucy changed into a pair of soft black shorts and lacey top before crawling under the covers of her bed. Lucy had her communication lacrima setting next to her. She shoved her face into her pillow and groaned. Yesterday morning she panicked at the thought of if she would have to call Laxus for help, but instead like an idiot she called him and declared that she wanted him to screw her. Lucy moaned again, because she had no idea how the elder mage reacted to this. Did he think she was an idiot? Lucy knew that Laxus would never be attracted to her. She determined that his type was probably similar to Orga’s—Laxus would want someone strong and beautiful. Lucy didn’t feel like she was either of those things.

Lucy felt like she needed to apologize to Laxus and knew that she would eventually, but just didn’t know how. Lucy started to gently stroke her fingers over the communication lacrima and debated on whether or not she should call Laxus tonight and apologize.


	13. Chapter 13

Lucy continued to stare at the communication lacrima and debated in her head the pros and cons of calling Laxus to apologize. Lucy thought it would be good to go ahead and call Laxus now and get it over with. She hated the thought of feeling this anxious for the next three weeks; however, the downside to calling him would be that Laxus would hate her or tell her she was an idiot. Lucy started to feel that the cons were outweighing the pros.

As Lucy moaned again, she felt extremely tired and decided that her judgment was not to be trusted. She had never really talked to Laxus much before, but she did care about what he thought of her. Lucy couldn’t understand why, but she really valued Laxus’s opinion—especially about her. Deep down in her heart she knew that Laxus would never be so cruel if she apologized, she knew that Laxus had changed a lot ever since he came and rescued them on Tenroujima. Lucy let out an exasperated sigh and started beating her face into her pillow. She wanted to apologize and get it over with, but the thought of calling Laxus again—not medicated, made her extremely nervous.

She was just about to give up all hope and just go to bed when the communication lacrima lit up. She was shocked and moved the lacrima closer to her face and then nearly dropped it when she saw the serious and handsome face of Fairy Tail’s Lightning Dragon Slayer looking at her.

Lucy felt her heart rate pick up and her stomach did a flip as her warm brown eyes met his stormy blue ones. She barely squeaked out, “La-laxus is everything ok? Is something wrong?”

Shefelt somewhat relieved when she saw that Laxus had his normal serious expression. She wanted to smile because so many people in Fairy Tail were still scared of Laxus, because he was always so serious now—but Lucy was just glad to see that he looked like his normal self and not pissed off at her for being an idiot. Laxus finally said, “Hey Blondie, Gramps wanted me to call and check on you because he is a little busy at the moment. We received a report from the Rune Knights this morning about you and he wanted to hear what happened.”

“O-oh, um ok. What do you want to know?” Lucy asked and began to feel very self-conscious since she did tell some of this story to Laxus last night.

“Just start from the top Blondie,” Laxus replied. Lucy and Laxus’s eyes continued to stare into each other’s and Lucy’s heart rate would not go down. She was so glad that Laxus was on the other side of the lacrima and not in the same room with her, because she knew from Natsu that Laxus would be able to pick up on her nerves because of his dragon senses.

Lucy began to fidget on the bed and finally took a deep breath and said, “Well not long after we arrived in Oshibana, Orga and I went to a pub to get something to eat. I realize now that I should have been paying more attention and told Orga, because when we were at the pub I noticed my drink tasted funny—but I just played it off as just being really thirsty from the events of the day. After we were done eating we split up to get supplies. Th-.”

Laxus cut off Lucy before she continued and asked grimly, “So you and Orga did split up then?”

Lucy lost her train of thought for a second and replied, “Y-yes.”

Lucy waited for a moment to see if Laxus was about to ask something else, since she could tell that Laxus was thinking about something, but after a few moments she went ahead and continued, “Well anyways, I went to go get the food supplies. I had Plue with me but then I called Virgo out to help me. We were on our way to meet Orga when our waiter from the pub and some of his friends approached me,” Laxus’s eyes narrowed as he listened to Lucy’s story but she continued to recount what happened, “Then Virgo told me to run because she was being ripped back into the spirit world. I tried to call out my other spirits and use my Fleuve d'étoiles, but nothing seemed to work. I felt my body getting weaker and heavier. Then the men caught up with me.”

Lucy began to feel her body shake as she remembered how horrible the waiter’s touch felt against her. Lucy felt like she was about to cry at how hopeless she felt. On the way to Shirotsume, Orga went to the back of the magic vehicle to take a short nap while Lucy drove. It was during that silent hour while that Lucy vowed to herself to train extra hard, so that she would never have to feel that way ever again. But now that Lucy had to retell what happened to her so soon, the thought scared her again on what could have happened if Orga had not been there. Plus, she didn’t want Laxus, or the rest of Team Natsu, to be ashamed of her for not being stronger.

A single tear ran down Lucy’s face and then she heard Laxus say, “Hey Blondie, if you don’t want to talk any more that is fine. I will tell Gramps what you said, you should get some rest.”

Lucy’s eyes shot open and looked at the Lightning Dragon Slayer who had a look on his face that Lucy had never seen before. She couldn’t determine what it was, but his voice when he spoke to her was almost gentle. Lucy wiped away her tear and then with her heartwarming smile said, “No Laxus it is ok. I am just a little shaken up that is all—I am fine. Actually after that is when things start to get a little fuzzy. I remember being unable to move because of the magic and then that is when I saw Orga’s lightning. The next thing I remember is Orga asking me if I was ok and then he took me to a physician.”

Lucy secretly hoped that Laxus wouldn’t ask anymore—but Lucy wasn’t feeling very lucky today. “This physician did he give you anything?” Laxus asked with a slight smirk on his face.

Lucy blushed and stuttered, “U-um y-yes, he gave me some medicine.” Lucy now could no longer make eye contact with the handsome Dragon Slayer.

“What kind of medicine was it Blondie? Did it taste funny?” Laxus asked as his smirk grew.

Lucy began to panic, what the hell was she supposed to say back? Lucy now knew that this conversation had turned into what she was dreading all day, and that arrogant Lightning Dragon Slayer was enjoying watching her suffer. Lucy nervously looked at the communication lacrima to see a smug Laxus starring back at her.

When Lucy sat there in silence Laxus chuckled and asked, “What’s the matter Blondie, Dragon got your tongue?” Lucy blushed at Laxus’s question so he continued, “But if my memory serves me right you are the one who actually has my tongue—I mean after all I was the one who licked you.”

Lucy eeped at Laxus’s words and then the image of him ripping off her bikini top came to her mind. Lucy felt like her head was going to explode and all she could stutter out was, “La-laxus.”

“Hmmm…what is it Blondie do you have something to say, or do you want me to keep going?” Laxus asked with a now wide grin on his face and a confident tone to his voice.

Lucy felt like an idiot. She did not mean to call Laxus like that, but her fantasies got the better of her. She felt stupid and knew that Laxus was not interested in her like that. Laxus did somewhat make an offer to her during the Phantom Lord incident, but Laxus was different now. He would never seriously consider someone like her and this made Lucy feel like her heart had been ripped from her chest. The dull ache in her chest grew as she realized that she meant absolutely nothing to the man on the other side of the lacrima. “Gomen,” Lucy finally said as she looked down at her bed and grabbed her blanket with her fist.

“Huh?” Laxus asked confused.

“I am sorry I called you like that, I had no right to. I understand if you are upset at what I did. I didn’t mean to call you so late at night like that—I wasn’t myself. So I am sorry for offending you,” Lucy said as tears started to stream down her face. She tried to turn her head away in shame, but she felt so utterly stupid.

There were several moments of awkward silence that followed Lucy’s confession. Lucy couldn’t understand why Laxus wasn’t saying anything, or why he was still even on the lacrima with her. His silence seemed to reiterate in her mind that Laxus did indeed hate her.

“I wasn’t offended,” Lucy heard Laxus say in a low, almost husky, voice.

Lucy’s eyes widened at what the Dragon Slayer said. She quickly wiped away her tears and said, “R-really?” Lucy asked and then looked back up at the communication lacrima.

Lucy and Laxus’s eyes met once again, his gaze was intense as he studied the blonde beauty on the other side of the lacrima. Laxus responded, “No, should I be offended?”

“N-no, I guess not,” Lucy said as she started to blush heavily again.

“I do have a question though,” Laxus said as Lucy’s heart started to pound in her ears, “Well I take that back I have two questions. The first is you said that you missed me, why? The second is what beach are you talking about?”

Lucy nearly dropped the lacrima. Laxus might not hate her, but that didn’t mean he didn’t want to make her suffer. God this man was infuriating. Lucy thought he was trying to punish her and embarrass her, because of what she did. Lucy couldn’t look into Laxus’s eyes and started to stare down at the bed again. “W-well I-I u-um,” Lucy stuttered out.

Lucy could hear Laxus starting to laugh on the other side of the lacrima and this made her anger ignite. How dare he make fun of her for something she had no control over, so Lucy yelled defiantly, “Laxus Dreyar, I had no control over what I was doing on that medicine, let alone what I was dreaming, so how dare you make fun of me!” Then Lucy crossed one of her arms under her chest and started to pout.

“A dream huh? Blondie I had no idea you had such perverted thoughts,”Lauxs said with a very amused look on his face.

Lucy mentally face palmed herself and was shocked at how quickly this conversation was unraveling; she had not prepared for a situation in her head where Laxus would enjoy teasing her. However, Lucy was also stunned because the Laxus in her dream had said something very similar to the Laxus she was talking to now. Lucy could feel her face heat up even more and wondered if the real Laxus was anything like the one from her dream. She wondered what it would be like if he licked her and kissed her the way he did in her dream. Before Lucy could answer Laxus’s question, he asked in a breathy voice, “So in this dream—is this where I said I would take you over and over again?”

Lucy knew at that moment when she heard his low, breathy, sexy voice that her mind had completely left her body. Her head was spinning so fast that she could no longer think straight. She would have melted on the spot like Juvia if she had the ability to. Lucy also closed her legs tighter together to try and suppress the unfamiliar urge she felt there as her core heated up. Lucy could see out of the corner of her eye that Laxus was waiting for a response with a very amused look on his face. Not trusting her voice, Lucy just nodded her head in agreement.

Laxus began to chuckle lowly and said, “You also may have mentioned that Natsu didn’t know what you wanted and you liked what I was doing to you. You seemed upset that I stopped.”

Lucy was beyond panicked. She knew sitting there and not saying anything would only make matters worse, but she couldn’t deny what she did either—she remembered everything. Lucy finally found what little courage she had left and stammered out, “L-Laxus I told you I had no control over what was going on, you shouldn’t make fun of me!”

“You may have not had control over what you were doing, but you sure seemed to enjoy it and wanted more. Well at least more of me,” Laxus said with a very confident tone to his voice.

Before Lucy could register what Laxus had just said, a light bulb went off in her head. She had something against Laxus too; she needed to get back at the handsome blonde man starring at her with shinning eyes and a permanent smirk on his face. Lucy got a gleam in her eye and looked at the lacrima and said, “Laaaaxus, I will tell you all about my dream and how it made me feel if,” Lucy paused and watched the sexy Dragon Slayer shift his position for some reason before she continued, “you tell me why you and Orga got in a fight at the train station.” Lucy smiled at her last line in attempt to turn the tables on Laxus.

Lucy saw Laxus’s eyes narrow at her and his smirk quickly vanished. “Why?” Laxus asked with a serious voice.

Lucy mentally high-fived herself at her small victory and said, “Well you did nearly electrocute everyone on the train with me on it, plus Orga won’t tell me.”

Laxus looked as though he was contemplating her request and Lucy began to doubt her strategy. What could Laxus and Orga have talked about that was so important? Lucy began to fidget when Laxus finally said, “I will tell you a summary of my part that is all, but you still have tell me your dream.”

Lucy wasn’t sure if this was a good plan or not. Now she was the one contemplating. What if Laxus’s part was really short and then she had to reveal that in her dream they were about to make love on a beach? Lucy began to sweat because of her nerves. Laxus started to chuckle again and said, “Not so sure of yourself now Blondie? That is what you get when you go up against the strongest Dragon Slayer.”

Lucy felt backed into a corner, but she wouldn’t let this man win. Lucy smiled and said, “If you only tell me part then I only have to tell you part.”

“No, because I already know parts so I want the rest. Plus, I don’t want to speak on behalf of that wannabe Lightning Dragon—so I can only give you my part of the conversation. I don’t like gossip. This is a fair deal Blondie you should take it,” Laxus said smugly.

Lucy let out a light giggle and Laxus raised an eyebrow at her and asked, “What is so funny Blondie?”

Lucy just kept laughing and said, “Sorry Laxus it is just that Orga said something very similar about you. He called you a wannabe Lightning God.”

Laxus’s eyes narrowed and gruffly said, “Don’t compare me to that SaberBastard.”

Lucy stopped laughing when she noticed the serious tone in Laxus’s voice. Lucy could tell that Laxus seemed upset about something before she replied, “I am sorry Laxus. I didn’t mean to upset you, but you should know that I think very highly of Orga now and consider him a dear friend. I know it is presumptuous of me, but I was hoping that maybe when I get back you and I could be friends too.”

Lucy saw shock written all over Laxus’s face at her statement; however, Lucy wasn’t sure if it was shock from her calling Orga her friend or her asking to be his friend. Laxus cleared his throat and asked, “How are you and Orga already so close?”

Lucy felt her heart sink, because she realized that maybe Laxus did not really care about being her friend. After all, he really didn’t need someone like her. Lucy finally said nervously as she traced imaginary circles into her bed sheets, “Well even though we only had our first real conversation yesterday, Orga and I have already been through a lot. He didn’t have to save me, but he did. He also took me to a physician and didn’t even care that because of me our mission was delayed by a few hours. He took care of me when I wasn’t myself. He is fun to talk to even if he doesn’t say very much. Plus he has encouraged me to be strong in his own awkward way.” Lucy grew a little sad as she thought about what she said; she realized that maybe Orga didn’t see her as a friend either. Maybe he just enjoyed teasing her the way Laxus did a few moments ago.

Laxus just sat there with an unreadable expression on his face then he finally said, “I told the Sabertooth mage that if he hurt you in any way that Fairy Tail would come after him.”

Lucy gasped at Laxus’s confession. Why would Laxus feel the need to say something like that to Orga? This time Lucy’s eyes narrowed and she said, “Is that all? Because it seemed to me that you two were out there for a lot longer than that. Are you sure that is not all that you two said? Plus, why was there lightning over that?”

Laxus looked back and met her gaze and said, “That is all you need to know Blondie and I did say I would only tell you a part of what was said. Now tell me the rest of your dream.” Then Laxus’s face turned back into a smirk.

“Laxus you Lightning Baka! That isn’t fair. Besides I never agreed to these terms yet!” Lucy exclaimed and her rage ignited once more.

Lauxs chuckled at the rise he got out of the busty blonde and said confidently, “I said I would tell you my part and I just gave you the summary of my part. I can’t tell more, because that would compromise your new _friend’s_ part of the conversation. You didn’t agree yet, but you would have because it would have eaten away at you otherwise.”

Lucy felt cheated, because it wasn’t fair how he knew she would have agreed to his terms. Yes she was going to, but that was beside the point right now. Lucy pouted again and this earned another chuckle from the Dragon Slayer. Lucy finally said in a low voice, “That was a dirty trick Laxus. I still don’t have to tell you though because I didn’t agree yet.”

Lucy could tell that the look on Laxus’s face was one of confidence and victory. She was fuming at the man when Laxus added, “Well this was technically your idea to begin with. You were the one who said you would tell me your dream if I told you what we fought about. We fought about you. Now here you are trying to talk your way out of something you brought up. Isn’t a Celestial Mage’s words her bond?”

Lucy had lost. She felt utterly defeated and powerless against one of Fairy Tail’s strongest. She had no choice, but it wasn’t fair. Damn him for using her sacred bond and words against her! Lucy looked away and quickly said without taking a breath, “We were on a beach when you started kissing me, then one thing lead to another, then Orga woke me.”

Laxus raised his eyebrow and said, “Well I didn’t hear anywhere in there about me licking you or apparently what I was saying to you.”

“Well that is all you are getting out of me Laxus, because you didn’t play fair,” Lucy said haughtily.

Laxus just smirked slightly again and said, “Fine, I won’t push you this time Blondie; however, I think when you get back from this job you deserve to give me a better explanation.”

Lucy looked the man in shock and said, “B-but Laxus I-,” but was caught off when she saw a pair of stormy blue eyes looking at her so intensely that it nearly made her heart melt.

Laxus and Lucy both moved closer to their lacrimas on instinct as Laxus huskily said, “By the way Blondie, don’t feel weak or useless about what happened. The report said that those men were vicious and it was technically going to be an S-class job when the next request was going to be sent out.” Lucy gasped at what Laxus said, but he continued, “Also, I would very much like the chance to be your friend when you return.”

Lucy felt her core heat up again and had an image in her mind of her running her fingers along his scar. Then Laxus added huskily, “You should get some rest Blondie, you probably have a big day tomorrow. But do me a favor and stay safe.”

Lucy and Laxus continued to stare at each other for several moments and Lucy finally nodded her head and smiled at him.

A corner of Laxus’s mouth went up into a smile and he breathily said, “Goodnight Blondie.”

“Goodnight Laxus,” Lucy said in almost a whisper.

Then Laxus cut off communication with the lacrima. Lucy just sat on her hotel bed frozen for several minutes as her heart pounded in her chest. She threw herself back on her bed and her head plopped on her pillow. Lucy looked up at the ceiling and yelled, “HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO SLEEP NOW!?”


	14. Chapter 14

Orga heard Lucy yell, "HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO SLEEP NOW?"

Orga sighed in relief as he stared up at the ceiling. He felt an odd pain in his chest as he had listened to Lucy and Laxus's conversation and he was glad that it had finally ended. While Dreyar flirted with his new partner over the communication lacrima, Orga had been tempted to bust down Tiny's door and take her away from Dreyar. Orga grimaced at the thought, because knew he had no right to interfere with their conversation; after all he was a Sabertooth mage and only Tiny's temporary partner. But he couldn't help but feel sick as he heard Dreyar go into detail about the dream Tiny had of him.

Orga didn't want to listen to what the two Fairy Tail mages talked about, but with his god-like hearing it was almost inevitable with the thin hotel walls. As the two talked to each other, Orga did everything imaginable to try and not overhear. He knew that Tiny would not appreciate him eavesdropping on her conversation with that Dreyar idiot. So Orga did several pushups, wrote a new song, even showered again, meditated, but no matter what he did he kept hearing the Lightning Dragon Slayer hit on his new partner.

The Lightning God Slayer remembered how his heart nearly stopped when he heard Tiny say his name. He had gritted his teeth when Dreyar asked Tiny how she had already gotten so close to him. Orga didn't think it was any of Dreyar's business if he and Tiny were close, but Orga felt like time froze as he waited to hear his beautiful partner's answer. He remembered everything Tiny had said perfectly, _"Well even though we only had our first real conversation yesterday, Orga and I have already been through a lot. He didn't have to save me, but he did. He also took me to a physician and didn't even care that because of me our mission was delayed by a few hours. He took care of me when I wasn't myself. He is fun to talk to even if he doesn't say very much. Plus he has encouraged me to be strong in his own awkward way."_

Orga felt like he could take on 100 S-class monsters at once when he heard Tiny's confession. Tiny actually seemed to care for him, but as Orga lay on his bed he began to feel guilty. He knew that only a few months ago, before the games, if he would have gone on this mission with Tiny then things would have turned out very differently. Orga didn't like to let people in, but since the games he has slowly learned to open up a little. Then he was requested to do this mission with Tiny. It was like the spunky, little, blonde Fairy just walked right into his heart without him even knowing it happened.

The Sabertooth Mage realized that he cared deeply for his new partner; she had become his friend. She was unlike any other girl he had ever met. Most the women he screwed or knew in the past were selfish, manipulative, power hungry bitches—like Minerva. Tiny was different. Sure she was crazy as hell, but she had so much spirit in her. How could he not have saved her, how could he not have taken her to a physician, why would he not take care of her? They have only been with each other for two days and yet in his mind Tiny, no Lucy, had become irreplaceable to him. She was everything that he was not.

Orga felt like an ass for how he acted earlier that evening. Tiny clearly made friends with nearly every person she had ever come into contact with and he shouldn't have let himself get so upset by the Blue Pegasus Playboys. But then Orga smiled a little to himself as he thought about the dinner he had with his new partner. He wondered if Tiny was really jealous because of how the waitress was flirting with him, but then he scowled when he realized that he was no better. He was clearly jealous of the effect that Dreyar had on Tiny.

The Sabertooth Mage sighed to himself and knew that he needed to make up for his actions somehow tomorrow. He felt guilty for how he left Tiny in the hallway this evening. But he also knew that Dreyar was definitely interested in partner, because how could he not be? Orga decided that he needed to discover his own feelings towards the blonde girl and knew he needed to figure them out fast.

Before the Lightning God Slayer fell asleep, he began to dread what would happened to Tiny once this mission was over with.

* * *

 

Lucy awoke the next morning with a scowl on her face. She had hardly gotten any sleep the night before, because Laxus had got her so flustered that she found it difficult to sleep. Every time she had closed her eyes she saw his nearly naked body all over her and then her heart rate would escalate again.

"Damn him," Lucy muttered to herself as she made her way to the bathroom. She groaned at how tired her body felt. She was so mad at that sexy blonde man with his perfectly chiseled abs and masculine arms for putting her in this situation. How was she supposed to climb a mountain today? All she could think about was the way Laxus's sexy mouth looked as it curled into that pervy grin of his and what it must be like to taste those divine lips. "UGGGGGHHHH THINK ABOUT SOMETHING ELSE LUCY!" She yelled at herself as she stepped into the shower.

As the hot water fell down her curvy body, Lucy thought about how absolutely ecstatic she was that Laxus wasn't mad at her and that he even wanted to try and be friends when she returned. But how in the hell was she supposed to take that conversation last night?

Lucy began to run her fingers through her hair as she thought about how Laxus acted last night. She had never seen Laxus act so—flirty before. Lucy bit her bottom lip when she remembered how he wanted to know more about her dream, but then her excitement turned into worry. Was Laxus just messing around with her? She hadn't had too many conversations with him before to know if he was joking, or if Laxus even joked. Laxus was a serious man, but he did care a lot about the guild—well at least Lucy thought he did.

But why would he, the great Laxus Dreyar, care about her? Did he just want a piece of ass? Lucy remembered that after the Phantom Lord incident Cana got drunk and started talking about all the women that Laxus had slept with. Just about every woman wanted a piece of that man. Lucy remembered how at the ball, after the dragons attacked at the Grand Magic Games, there had been women all over Laxus. Lucy remembered this vividly, because Freed was screaming his head off for the women to get off—which Lucy found hilarious at the time, but then Laxus almost seemed nonchalant about the whole thing. Did he like having women hang all over him? If he didn't, wouldn't he have told them to get off?

The water began to run cold on Lucy so she quickly jumped out to dry off. Her excitement from last night began to fade away as she pictured Laxus with all of those women. Lucy decided that she would think of Laxus predicament later and wondered if Orga was already ready and waiting for her. Lucy finished getting ready and changed into a blue miniskirt with a white shirt that had a big sparkly blue heart on the chest. Then when she walked out of the bathroom, she noticed that someone slid an envelope under her door. Lucy walked over to the door and opened the envelope. The Fairy Tail mage rolled her eyes when she saw a miniature Hibiki Lates smiling up at her.

The hologram letter version of Hibiki said cheerfully, "Good morning my beautiful Fairy Tail mage. I hope you slept well and had wonderful dreams filled with love," this comment made Lucy snort, "Anyways, I looked into my archive last night and found something that might interest you. Many of the passes to the top of Samui Yama have been caught off, because this past winter there were several terrible storms that caused huge avalanches. Also, there seems to be an unusual magic reading at the top that I am unable to analyze for you so please be wary of that. Just so you know it usually takes a few days to reach the top peak. But I know you said that you have to be there tomorrow, so once this conversation is over a map will appear on this letter. On the map, I have marked the location of a cave that will be able to shelter you for the night. If you can make it to that cave, you will be able to reach your destination by tomorrow. You should be aware though that there are still quite a few avalanches happening on the mountain slopes and you should advise your new Sabertooth friend to not use his magic. Any loud sounds could disrupt the mountain."

Lucy groaned at Hibiki's news. What if they ran into trouble and then Orga wouldn't be able to use magic. Lucy at least had her whip, but she wasn't sure if she should call on her spirits because they—like the rest of Team Natsu, where usually loud and caused quite a ruckus.

The miniature Hibiki finished with, "I hope this will be of help to you my lovely friend. Please take care on your job and stay safe. Maybe when you get back we could go on a date." Then hologram Hibiki winked at Lucy and vanished.

Once the figure of Hibiki disappeared, the letter Lucy held started to glow. She saw a little bar that looked like it was filling up and then a map appeared before her. Lucy had studied maps as a child, so she was very proficient in reading the one that Hibiki gave her. She groaned when she saw how much she and Orga would have to climb today alone. They probably wouldn't make it to the cave until after nightfall.

Lucy decided she should see if Orga was awake yet so she could show him the map and see if he wanted to get breakfast together before the restocked their supplies. After Lucy grabbed her whip and keys, she ran out her hotel door to see if her partner was ready.

As Lucy stood in front of Orga's door, she got a gleam in her eye and decided that she wanted to pay Orga back for flustering her last night before dinner. She hoped that Orga was still asleep, because she wanted to scare him by banging on the door. Lucy slowly raised her arm back so that she could pound on the door as loud as possible, but as she brought her arm down the door suddenly flew open. "KYYYYYYYAAAAAAA!" Lucy screamed as she fell into Orga's chest.

Orga looked down at the girl who had fallen on him and just sighed. He helped her up to see that her face was blushed and asked, "What they hell do you think you were doing Tiny?"

Lucy jumped up and straightened her skirt and said embarrassed, "Gomen, I didn't know you were about to come out."

Orga continued to eye Lucy and said, "That doesn't really explain what you were doing though."

Lucy began to fiddle with her keys nervously and said shyly, "Well I thought it would be funny to scare you because I thought you were still asleep."

Orga just shook his head at her and then Lucy said excitedly, "Hey by the way I have somewhat good news!" Then she turned away and started to walk down the hall.

"Hey where are you going? What about this news?" Orga asked now even more confused by the girl's actions. They had barely been with each other for more than a few seconds and this girl was already confusing the hell out of him.

Lucy began to twirl in the hotel hallway excitedly and yelled back at him, "I will tell you when we get something to eat! Come on I am starving!"

Orga caught up with Lucy and with a smirk said, "I am surprised you are still hungry after everything you ate last night. I thought that if I tried to take a bite of your cheesecake you would have bitten my hand off."

Lucy turned bright red in anger and yelled, "LUCY KICK!"

Orga had already prepared for her reaction and blocked her kick and kept walking. Lucy panted in anger. God this man was just as troublesome as Laxus. How dare he make fun of her for a slight indulgence!?

Lucy continued to fume in anger as Orga said with a smirk still on his face, "Don't worry about it Tiny, I like a woman who has an appetite."

Lucy eeped at Orga's statement and was certain that the room had started to spin around her and someone turned the thermostat up. What was with these lightning men and their words? Did they just like making women uncertain about themselves? Lucy now extremely nervous quietly asked, "Wh-what are you talking about baka?"

"I'm just saying it is annoying when girls hardly eat anything in front of guys, because they are afraid of how they look. You don't seem to have that problem though, so that is nice," Orga said bluntly in response.

If Lucy had Natsu's fire powers she would have exploded into flames and challenged the Sabertooth mage right there. But Lucy's anger was interrupted when Orga said, "I think there is a café nearby that has strawberry pancakes. Would you like to go there?"

Lucy's mouth began to water at the thought of strawberry pancakes and then her anger vanished as she replied happily, "That sounds delicious Orga, let's hurry!" Then Lucy thought it odd that Orga suggested strawberry pancakes. She turned to her new partner with her eyes narrowed and asked, "Why did you suggest strawberry pancakes?"

"I assumed that it was one of your favorite flavors," Orga said nonchalantly.

Lucy looked taken aback. Strawberry was one of her favorite flavors. It was also her best friend's favorite flavor. How in the hell did Orga know this? Lucy still eyeing the large mage and asked quizzically, "Why would you assume that?"

"Our first day together in the pub with those assholes you ordered a strawberry tea. Last night you ordered a strawberry margarita and a chocolate strawberry cheesecake. You also smell like warm strawberries because of your body wash," Orga said with a serious tone.

"KYYYYYYYYYYYYA YOU PERVERT! DON'T SMELL ME WITHOUT MY PERMISSION!" Lucy screamed as she turned bright red from embarrassment.

Orga just sighed at Lucy's reaction, but Lucy continued to stay the color red as they made their way to the café. Everything Orga said was true. How could he learn so much from her without her even telling him these things? Lucy constantly told Natsu to use her front door like a normal human being and the pink haired baka still climbed in through the window.

Lucy nervously looked back at Orga who continued to have the same somber expression. Lucy thought about how Orga was unlike any man she had ever met. He would say such odd things at times, but continue to have his emotionless expression. Orga hardly gave anything away, but when he spoke he usually shocked the hell out of her. The Lightning God Slayer was a giant puzzle.

* * *

 

The two mages finally reached the café and were quickly seated. Lucy now very self-conscious about what she was going to order eyed her menu nervously. She was determined to not get anything strawberry. But her mouth kept watering at the smell of the fresh strawberries in the air. Damn this man for making her so self-conscious about her favorite food!

Lucy continued to eye the menu. Everything looked so delicious. The café had strawberry juice, strawberry pancakes, strawberry jam, fresh strawberries, strawberry parfaits, and many more strawberry flavored items. Lucy made a mental note that she and Erza should have a girl's day and come here after her mission with Orga was finished. Lucy sighed at her stubbornness, because she wasn't going to give Orga the satisfaction of figuring her out so fast. Lucy was determined to not order anything that contained strawberries.

The waitress in a cute strawberry colored dress came up to take Lucy and Orga's order. Lucy looked at the waitress and said, "I would like a glass of water with plain pancakes and some grapes." Lucy smiled to herself, because she stayed strong and didn't order anything strawberry related.

Orga looked over at Lucy who seemed to be pretty smug. He noticed how her order didn't contain anything strawberry flavored and he wasn't going to let her get off that easy. Orga handed his menu to the waitress and said with a smirk, "I would like a water and a strawberry juice. I would also like three plates of bacon and eggs, a large stack of strawberry pancakes, a fresh bowl of fruit with extra strawberries, and two strawberry bagels with strawberry jam."

Lucy visibly flinched in her seat. Orga had ordered nearly everything with strawberry in it. How was she supposed to be celibate of strawberries when he was dangling the fruit of desire in her face? Then Lucy crossed her arms under her chest in defiance at the Sabertooth Mage.

Lucy decided that she needed to distract herself and remembered that she still needed to tell Orga about the map. "Oh yeah Orga I forgot to tell you the news! Hibiki left me a letter this morning and he found a trail for us. Here you go," Lucy said as she handed the map to Orga to look at.

"Yeah I heard this morning when I was getting ready. Apparently I am not supposed use my magic. That will be a pain in the ass," Orga said grimly as he studied the map.

Lucy blinked at Orga a few times and then asked cautiously, "Orga, what do you mean you heard this morning?"

Orga could hear Lucy's heartbeat quicken. He didn't want to lie to her and let her ramble on about what that Blue Pegasus idiot had said. So he knew he had to say how he heard. Orga handed the map back to Lucy and said, "My powers are similar to the Dragon Slayers you know. I have heightened senses. The hotel walls are thin and I wasn't trying to eavesdrop but I was already awake and heard the playboy's voice and heard him talk about the mission."

Lucy sat in shock. She was slightly aware that the God Slayers had similar powers, because of what Natsu told Lucy about Zancrow but also because Wendy was now friend's with Chelia. But then complete fear and realization washed over Lucy. She couldn't make eye contact with Orga anymore and then nervously asked, "I-I'm n-not mad that you heard this morning, b-but did you hear anything else?"

Lucy sat in what seemed like an eternity of silence before Orga finally answered, "No that is not all I heard."

Lucy looked at the Sabertooth Mage who was also not making eye contact with her. She felt her hands clam up. Orga had heard her conversation with Laxus. Lucy didn't know why but she felt really guilty that Orga had overheard.

However, Lucy's thoughts were interrupted when Orga said, "Don't feel embarrassed. I don't try to overhear other people's conversations, but sometimes with my abilities it is distracting. I just thought you should know because I didn't want to lie to you."

Lucy blushed slightly at Orga's confession. She was still slightly embarrassed by the turn of events, but she thought it was sweet that Orga told her the truth. He could have kept it from her, but she respected him for being honest.

But then Orga also added, "There is something else I would like to say about your conversation last night with Dreyar though."

"What is it?" Lucy asked with her anxiety returning.

"You told him that I didn't have to help you on that first day. You should know that I did have to help you, but more importantly I wanted to help you," Orga said firmly.

Lucy was unable to read the expression that Orga had on his face. It wasn't his normal stoic one, but she wouldn't describe it as soft either. Her heart leapt at what her new partner had said. Lucy looked down at her keys and said, "T-thanks Orga. I am really grateful for everything. In fact, I am having a lot of fun so far on this mission. Well minus almost being attacked by a bunch of perverts and being a pervert myself. I look forward to working with you on this mission, just like I said on our first day."

Orga slightly smiled and then before Lucy could say anything else the waitress brought them their food. Lucy looked down at her plate sadly, because it all looked so boring. Then she saw everything that was presented in front of Orga. It was like Lucy died and went to strawberry heaven. She wanted to Lucy Kick herself for her stubbornness, because she nearly drooled when Orga took a big bite out of the strawberry pancakes.

Orga was laughing on the inside, because he could sense Lucy's disappointment when she saw her food. He only ordered all of this strawberry shit to get back at her for being stubborn. He was more than willing to share, but he wanted to hear her admit it first.

Orga looked at Lucy and asked "Tiny do I need to lend you my napkin too before you start to drool everywhere?"

Lucy shot Orga a terrifying look and said, "As if Orga! I don't want your silly meal, now shut up and eat your food so we can go buy the rest of our supplies!"

Orga gave Lucy a smirk as they continued to eat in silence; however, Lucy noticed that Orga took extra-long to eat anything with strawberries in it and he would sometimes say, "Mmmmmm," as he took a big bite. He was just mocking her now.

* * *

 

After they paid for their meal, Lucy and Orga went to the nearest shop to finish getting some supplies. Lucy felt like the entire day sucked already. She hardly got any sleep, she had weird conversations with complicated men, and she had to hike up a cold mountain. Lucy was slightly thankful that by tomorrow, she and Orga would reach their destination.

As Orga was looking at some climbing equipment, Lucy was still fuming about how terrible her breakfast was. Well it wasn't terrible, but the strawberries Orga ate looked so good. Lucy was pulled from her negative thoughts when Orga bluntly said, "Tiny I hope you have more decent clothes than what you have on for when we leave today."

Lucy turned to look at Orga in anger and yelled, "Quit being a pervert!"

"I'm not being a pervert, I am being honest. Besides you don't seem to mind Dreyar being a pervert," Orga said with his back turned.

Lucy thought she noticed that Orga's voice changed, but before she could say anything else Virgo appeared in a flash before them. The loyal spirit said, "Hime-sama, I have specially prepared for you a set of clothing from the spirit world. It will keep you warmer than regular clothes. I have also prepared some for your new partner as well. Punishment Hime-sama?"

"Awwww, Virgo you are the best and no punishment today! Thank you so much Virgo!" Lucy said as she jumped up cheerfully and her mood slightly got better.

Virgo handed the clothing items to Lucy and Orga. Then the maid spirit smiled and bowed before she disappeared again. Orga just said seriously, "I like that spirit, she is resourceful."

Lucy nodded her head in agreement and said, "Yes I love Virgo, well I love all my spirits, but Virgo always takes extra good care of me. She is too sweet sometimes."

Orga grabbed the rest of the items that they would need and paid for them quickly, then the two mages headed back to the hotel to finish packing.

* * *

 

As Lucy was changing in her room she sighed at how good the clothes already felt on her skin. The outfit felt light, but kept her warm at the same time. It was probably the softest fabric she had ever felt, but it was also the most durable she had ever felt. Lucy's outfit consisted of skin tight black pants with long gray boot socks and black boots that came up to her knee. Her top matched and was a long sleeved, tight, turtle neck. Then she had a dark gray fur lined coat to go with it. Lucy was also given a gray headband to protect her ears. Finally, she had tight gloves that were perfect for staying warm and climbing. Lucy loved the way her clothes still clung to her curvaceous body. Then she looked at her appearance in the mirror and thought she looked bad ass and damn sexy. She wondered in the back of her head if Laxus would like the fur lined coat that she had on. But then Lucy strapped her key belt around her waste and grabbed her whip. She gave once last look at herself in the mirror and determined that she was ready for whatever challenges the mountain held.

Lucy grabbed her bag and went out to meet Orga. She wanted to gasp when she saw him waiting for her. Lucy eyed him up and down again and swore that Virgo was trying to kill her. Lucy's and Orga's outfits were nearly identical; however, Orga's pants were not skin tight, but were looser with pockets. He also had a utility belt and a dark green fur lined coat with a hood.

Orga looked at Lucy and nearly gulped at the site of her. He saw as she eyed him up and down. He began to wonder if he really did like this maid spirit of hers after all. Orga thought how Virgo always asks for punishment, but maybe she was really the one who dished out the punishment on innocent bystanders. Orga wanted to groan when he saw how tight Lucy's pants were and how nice her ass looked. The God Slayer decided that they needed to hike up this mountain as fast as possible so he could burn off some energy.

The two mages checked out of the hotel and Orga had put everything they would need into two travel backpacks. Lucy then summoned Virgo to hold onto everything else for them that was extra just in case.

Lucy and Orga found the trail that Hibiki had marked for them on his map. Lucy gulped when she saw the mountain trail before her. The mountain loomed in the distance and it would make even the most seasoned adventurer nervous at its presence. How was she supposed to climb all of that?

Lucy and Orga looked at each other and Orga asked, "Well are you ready Tiny?"

Lucy found some strength inside of her and said, "Well as one of my best friends would say: I'm all fired up!"


	15. Chapter 15

For several hours the wind and snow continued to howl around Lucy and Orga. Lucy was shaking and cursing under her breath. She was mad that she had already used up all of Horologium's time today and now she was stuck traipsing behind Orga in over three feet of snow.

Lucy was very thankful that Virgo gave her the clothes that she was wearing, because she knew she would have frost bite in regular clothes. Lucy was trying not to fall in the snow when she bumped into the back of Orga. She looked up at him and tried to yell over the roar of the snow, "WHY DID YOU STOP?"

Orga put his hands on Lucy's shoulder and said loudly, "No matter what you do, do not say anything again until I tell you that it is ok to. There is a hoard of over fifty Vulcans nearby. Stay quiet and follow me. Hold onto the back of my coat so I don't lose you in the snow."

Lucy's face paled at what he said. She remembered how she and Natsu had saved Macao on Mt. Hakobe when he was taken over by a Vulcan. Back then she and Natsu could at least use magic to defend themselves, but unfortunately Hibiki said that Orga shouldn't use his magic. Lucy began to panic at what might happen, but nodded her head at Orga to let him know that she understood and grabbed the back of his coat. She leaned in close to him to help block the snow and Orga started heading towards their destination again.

Orga continued to lead the way and would stop every few moments to listen to the movements of the Vulcans. Thankfully it seemed that most were asleep, because he knew that if the monsters became aware of their presence they would immediately go after Tiny. He was agitated that the weather was interfering with his senses so much, he had to help protect his partner. He could feel her desperately clinging to his coat and his heart nearly broke at the sight. He wanted so badly to use his magic and teleport them, but right now the conditions were too bad to teleport. Plus, if he missed the cave by just a fraction it could cause an avalanche and trap them.

Lucy held onto Orga and trusted that his senses would be able to lead them through the path, but the snow was picking up and Lucy could hardly see anything. Suddenly, Lucy felt Orga stiffen and he said loudly, "They smell us!"

Lucy felt fear rush through her body and wondered what she should do. Her spirits might cause an avalanche so she quickly readied her whip to help keep the monsters at bay. She watched as Orga quickly looked around and then pointed at some rocks and said, "If we can make it past those rocks we can push those on the Vulcans and block them from following us!"

Lucy nodded her head and was ready to call out Virgo to help once they got past. Just as Lucy and Orga were about get to the rocks Orga stopped Lucy and then Lucy saw one of the largest Vulcan's she had ever seen jump up from behind the rock and yell, "FEMALE!"

Lucy felt the mountain shake as the Vulcan yelled and pounded the ground. Lucy looked around and saw that they were trapped. More and more Vulcans began to appear from all around them. Lucy pulled out her Fleuve d'étoiles and took a fighting stance. She knew it was up to her this time since Orga wasn't supposed to use his magic.

The other Vulcans began to pound their fists against the mountain as more snow and rocks began to fall. The Fairy Tail mage watched in horror as the large Vulcan screamed and lunged at Orga.

"ORGA GET DOWN!" Lucy yelled and cracked her whip towards the oncoming Vulcan.

But it was too late; the damage from the hoard of Vulcans had been done. Lucy felt a wave of snow hit her as she heard Orga yell, "LUCY WATCH OUT!"

Orga yelled at Lucy in fear as his partner was washed away by a small avalanche of snow that was heading towards a small iced river below them. Orga leapt down to try and catch his friend, but thirty Vulcans blocked his path. Orga felt so useless unable to use his magic. He quickly fought his way through the Vulcans bare handed and went running after Lucy, but all the Vulcans had slowed Orga down.

Orga looked up and saw that one of the larger Vulcans had stopped Lucy from falling and was cradling her in his arms. Orga growled at the sight, because the Vulcan was not paying attention to its surroundings and then stepped on the patch of frozen water and fell through still clutching onto Lucy.

"NOOOOO!" Orga screamed and as he dove into the icy water to find his friend.

Under the freezing water, Orga saw Lucy's limp body floating. The Vulcan had sunk further and lost its grip on Lucy in attempt to try and swim. Orga grabbed Lucy and climbed out of the water. His body began to shake from the freezing water and he turned to see that Lucy's lips had turned blue.

Orga began to panic and knew he had to get her out of here and to shelter fast. He heard a pop and looked up to see Virgo standing before him. With worry in her eyes and voice she said, "Lightning Mage, the cave is not far. It is exactly two miles north of here. You must use your magic to get Lucy there in time. Please save my master, because I know you can." Then Virgo disappeared.

Orga heard the desperation in the Spirit's voice and cradled his small partner against his large body. Orga no longer cared about using magic since his small partner's life was now in grave danger. Thanks to Virgo, he now knew the exact location of the cave and was determined to save the girl. Normally, people soaking wet would not be able to handle the lightning magic Orga was about to use. But he was a God Slayer; he could control his magic enough to not harm his beautiful friend. Orga then reached for his magic and teleported them both safely inside the cave.

With a bright flash, Orga and Lucy landed in the cave. Orga was panting heavily from the cold and fear for his friend and then Virgo appeared again with supplies. Virgo quickly said, "Lightning mage, please light this fire wood quickly and lay these blankets out. We have to get Hime-sama's temperature back to normal."

Orga sensed the urgency in Virgo's voice and quickly did as she instructed. He saw how she took out a large fabric tarp and long spikes. In a matter of seconds, Virgo had covered the entrance to the cave with the tarp from the spirit world and was already undressing Lucy.

Virgo said, "The tarp will keep any more Vulcans from finding you as well as shield you from the storm. Luckily the avalanche you caused with your magic is below the cave. Quickly Lightning Mage, take off your clothes."

"WHAT?!" Orga yelled at the spirit who now had Lucy wrapped up in a soft, fuzzy, blue blanket and was carrying her over to him.

Virgo eyed the Sabertooth Mage and said, "I cannot stay in this world for long on my own and I do not want to drain Hime-sama's powers. You will have to take care of her and keep her warm. Leo is on a date so he cannot come. In human survival guides it says that you must get naked and keep each other warm so that you do not die from hypothermia." Virgo began to place Lucy in Orga's arms.

Orga's head was spinning. Everything was happening so fast. How did he keep getting put in these awkward situations with this Fairy Tail Mage?

Virgo's eyes shone mischievously as she said, "Don't worry Orga; you don't have to get completely naked."

Orga looked down and saw that Lucy was shivering. He moaned and quickly stripped out of the semi-dry clothes that were given to him earlier, because of his magic his body naturally produced more heat than normal. He was sure he didn't produce as much as the Fire Dragon Slayer, but it was enough to keep him from getting hypothermia.

The Sabertooth Mage stripped down to his boxers and then wrapped the other fuzzy blanket around him. He sat down and carefully pulled his partner closer to his chest. He could feel how cold she was even through the blankets.

He looked over and saw that Virgo had already prepared some warm broth and sat out canteens of their water. Virgo poured some of the broth into thermoses for the two and sat them by Orga. The maid spirit then quickly grabbed some pillows and extra blankets and sat them by the two mages.

Virgo looked at Orga one more time and said, "Hime-sama already views you as a dear friend, so that means you are my friend too. Thank you for helping her." Then with a bow Virgo disappeared.

All that could be heard in the cave was Lucy breathing heavily in an attempt to warm up. Orga thought that maybe his magic would be able to help the blonde. He gently slid his hands under her blanket to touch her bare back. Orga hesitated for a second because he knew that if Tiny was awake she would definitely Lucy Kick him for this, but he would think about that later. He was more concerned with saving her life.

As Orga's hands rubbed the curve of Lucy's soft bare back, he heated his palms slightly with his magic and sent a low vibrating pulse through her. The magic was not enough to shock Lucy, but only warm her slightly. As he continued to rub her back with his hands, Lucy finally let out a low moan and pressed her body further into his.

This action made Orga gulp, because the moan that she gave off sounded incredibly sensual. Orga suddenly became very aware of how little fabric was actually between him and his partner.

He looked down at his beautiful partner and ran his hands through her hair with the same pulsing magic to heat it slightly. He watched as her slightly parted lips turned back to their natural pink hue and her breathing became more regular.

Orga stared at the beautiful Celestial Spirit Mage that he held in his arms. Her skin was so smooth and her scent so intoxicating. Orga thought about everything that had happened over the last few days and shook his head. Here he was in a cave almost naked holding the most beautiful girl in Fiore who had just risked her life to save him since he couldn't use magic.

Tiny, no Lucy, was the most amazing person he had ever met. Orga felt an ache in his chest at the realization at how much she had already come to mean to him in just these few days. He was so thankful that they still had the next few weeks together. He wanted to know everything about her. He smiled at how upset she got when he already discovered her love of strawberries. Tiny was stubborn and he liked that. She was everything he was not and he admired her for it.

Orga still deep in thought ran his hands along Lucy's bare back again and sent another pulse through her body. He heard the blonde moan again and then before he could do anything to stop it, she gently pressed her leg into his crotch.

Orga's eyes shot wide open and tried to adjust the sleeping Lucy on his chest. But the more he tried to move her the firmer she pressed into his body. Then he heard her mutter, "So warm."

Orga moaned and thought that pervert Lucy was back. He didn't mind so much, it is just that he didn't want to be beaten to death when she awoke.

As Orga tried to readjust their positions he saw Lucy's eyes flutter open. The Sabertooth mage looked down at his partner and asked, "You ok Tiny?"

Lucy continued to stay in Orga's arms and slowly looked around at her surroundings. The last thing that she remembered was the Vulcan about to attack Orga, and then all she saw was whiteness. Lucy moaned, "Orga, what happened?"

"Well, you tried to take on a whole hoard of Vulcans singlehandedly with just that shiny whip of yours and then the Vulcans caused an avalanche. You got caught up in it and then fell into an icy river. Virgo helped me get you here, because you nearly had hypothermia," Orga sighed as he recounted the tale.

Lucy looked up and met Orga's intense gaze. She was embarrassed at what happened. She felt like an idiot as she mumbled, "Thanks for saving me again Orga."

Orga smiled slightly and said, "It is I who should be thanking you this time Tiny. That was pretty bad ass of you. Most people would be afraid to face that many Vulcans, but not you."

"But you had to save me again, just like last time. I feel so useless," Lucy admitted half delirious from exhaustion.

Orga shook his head and replied, "I saved you yes, but this time it was from the stupid avalanche that the Vulcans caused. You saved me first—consider us even."

Lucy blushed at what Orga had said. Then she looked down and blushed even harder. When did she get naked? Lucy then smelt the blanket wrapped around her and it smelled like the clothes that Virgo would always give her. She smiled at how Orga must have reacted when Virgo did this.

The blonde then slightly remembered warm pulses going through her body. Did Orga use his magic on her? Lucy bit her lip and asked, "U-um Orga, a little bit ago did you use your magic on me?"

She felt Orga stiffen at the question before he replied, "Yeah, you were really cold and I used my magic to send a pulse through you, just enough to warm you up."

Lucy smiled as she traced the blanket's fabric with her finger and said, "T-thank you. It felt really good."

Orga remained tense and Lucy just yawned. She felt so tired and cold. She had no energy to move, so she continued to rest in Orga's arms. If he wasn't going to move away then she wasn't going to try to either. His warmth was so nice and made her feel safe.

Finally Orga said, "Virgo left you some broth. Do you think you have the strength to drink it?"

Lucy blinked her eyes sleepily and said, "I guess I can give it a try."

Orga carefully reached over to grab the thermoses of broth that Virgo prepared for them; the last thing he needed was for their blankets to fall. As he reached for his partner's thermos first he thought for a moment and realized that the girl was so tired she probably couldn't even hold it properly and he didn't really want hot broth spilled on him. He looked down at the peaceful looking blonde in his arms and said, "Hey Tiny, if it is ok with you I will hold your thermos and only give you a little at a time. You don't seem like you could hold the whole thing."

"Whatever you say Or-chan," Lucy said sleepily.

Orga tried to hide his blush. Yep perverted and compliant Lucy was back. He carefully poured her some broth and handed her the small cup.

Lucy slowly sipped on the broth and then realized Orga wasn't having any so she asked, "Orga why aren't you eating? I feel bad that you are taking care of me again."

Orga just sighed and said, "Just drink your broth Tiny. I will have mine when you are done."

Lucy just nodded at his response and continued to drink the delicious broth. She sighed in relief as she felt the heat of the liquid warm her insides. When she finished she handed the cup back to Orga and snuggled deeper into her blanket and against his chest. She smiled and thought about how this was the first time since the games that she didn't feel so alone. With her team constantly gone, she began to dread the nights. Who would have thought that the person who made her feel safe and happy was once her guild's enemy?

When Orga sat Lucy's thermos aside he quickly drank down his. He was still hungry, but he was exhausted from the day's events. They had climbed almost the entire day and then once again Tiny had scared the hell out of him. He was content just sitting there and holding her. He had never felt so at peace in all of his life.

The two sat in peaceful silence for a long time. Neither wanted to move away, because of the warmth and comfort that they felt from the other mage. Finally from exhaustion, Lucy snuggled closer to Orga and started to drift off to sleep.

Orga looked down when he noticed the change in breathing of his partner. His breath caught in his throat when he saw how beautiful and peaceful she looked. Orga felt his chest ache. He did not deserve the trust she put in him. He knew that he wasn't a good enough man for someone like her. She deserved someone so much better than him.

Finally Orga reached over and grabbed the extra pillows and blankets. He was getting too exhausted to keep sitting up or to keep thinking about how his blonde partner affected him. The Lightning God Slayer than made sure that the blankets Virgo gave them was securely positioned around their bodies before he leaned back onto the cave floor.

As Orga moved slightly away from Lucy, she started to shake from the cold. The God Slayer came to an understanding with himself that no matter how hard he tried, some being out there was going to torture him endlessly as long as he was on this mission. Lucy's back was to Orga as she faced the fire. He gently rolled to his side and pressed the front of his body towards her back.

As Orga got into a spooning position, he heard his partner let out a content sigh. He then felt Lucy's hand grab his as she wrapped his arm around her waist. Orga blushed at Lucy's boldness and before he drifted off to sleep he heard his partner whisper, "You said my real name today."

* * *

 

The next morning, Orga awoke surrounded by warmth. He blinked a few times and let his eyes adjust to his surroundings. He noticed that he fire had been restocked and wondered if it had been Lucy's maid spirit who did that.

He realized that his arm was still wrapped around his tiny partner as he slowly began to pull away. Getting kicked in the balls wasn't a way he wanted to start out a good morning.

As Orga attempted to move away, Lucy rolled over and pressed her chest into his. Orga stiffened as Lucy reached under his blanket and slid her tiny, delicate hands across his chest. The further Orga tried to move away, the tighter Lucy held on to him. Orga tried to reach under her arm in an attempt to detach it from his body, but sleeping Lucy took that as a sign to pull his arm around her and place it on her ass.

Even though Orga's hand was on the outside of Lucy's blanket, he couldn't help but let out a moan at how firm butt was. He knew he had to get away from her and fast before she awoke and found his now raging hard on.

Orga began to pull away again when he heard Lucy moan out, "Don't go Laxus."

Pained ripped through Orga's chest as he heard his partner say  _that_  name. He quickly removed Lucy's arm and walked to the other side of the cave where his travel pack was. As he began to grab his items and could sense that Lucy was starting to wake up. Orga didn't know what to think or do. He just knew he needed to get the hell out of the cave for a bit. All he could feel was pain. The Sabertooth Mage grabbed his stuff and slightly moved the tarp Virgo had made and stepped out and felt the cold morning air of the mountain.

* * *

 

Lucy's eyes opened when she felt a slight brush of cold air against her skin. She looked around and almost panicked because Orga was nowhere to be found. Lucy figured that he must have stepped out for a minute, because Orga seemed like the type of man who always had a plan. Knowing him he was probably already scouting the area they would take.

Lucy immediately blushed as everything that happened yesterday came rushing back to her. She remembered fighting the Vulcans, nearly freezing to death, but most of all she remembered that she was now in a cave naked wrapped in a blanket.

She covered her face with the blankets when she remembered how Orga had been so kind and how he held her. Lucy then bit her lip when she remembered how good the pulses felt that Orga sent through her body. She remembered being tempted to ask him to do it again, but thankfully her exhaustion kicked in before she could.

Lucy sat up and realized that she should probably get ready, because she was still naked and thought it best that she get some clothes on before her partner comes back. Lucy securely wrapped the blanket around her before she tiptoed over to her travel pack. The Celesestial Spirit Mage then called out Virgo to help her with a few items.

"Punishement Hime-sama?" Virgo asked cheerfully.

"No Virgo, but I do want to thank you for helping me and Orga yesterday," Lucy said as she started to pull her clothes out of her pack. Thankfully Virgo had already prepared similar clothes to the travel clothes Lucy had on yesterday, except today the color combination was a dark blue with a sparkly silver trim.

"Of course Hime-sama, the Sabertooth Mage is quite considerate of you. He lllllllllllikes you," Virgo said as she imitated Happy.

Lucy eeped and turned bright red as she began to put on her undergarments. "Virgo quit talking nonsense, Orga wouldn't like me," Lucy admitted out loud. She couldn't help but feel a slight pang in her chest as she said the words out loud.

"That is not true Hime-sama. The Lightning Mage was very concerned for your safety yesterday. He didn't care if he caused an avalanche, because he wanted to save you," Virgo replied as she began to prepare a breakfast for the two mages.

"Virgo, just because he got me to the cave doesn't mean that Orga likes me. He just sees me as a partner," Lucy said quietly.

"Did you not like getting naked with him?" Virgo asked with a sparkle in her eye.

"N-NAKED? ORGA?" Lucy yelled and as her heart started to pound in her ears.

"Yes, I instructed Orga to get naked with you to warm you up. Was that not ok Hime-sama? Should I be punished? Or would you rather get naked with Laxus when you return to the guild?" Virgo asked now very amused with herself as she watched her master fall to the ground. Virgo only assumed that her master's overactive imagination had gotten the better of her.

Lucy shook her perverted thoughts away and only shot Virgo an exasperated look. She finished getting dressed and walked over to eat some of the breakfast that Virgo had prepared. With a bow Virgo disappeared back into the spirit world.

Lucy sat in silence as she ate the oatmeal with fruit Virgo had prepared for her. The Celestial Spirit Mage thought about everything that Virgo had said. Lucy blushed because at how close she and Orga were in the night. Lucy was exhausted after the events from yesterday and Orga just felt so warm. She hoped that he wasn't angry at her for the position that she put him in yesterday.

Finally, Lucy finished her breakfast and then grew worried when Orga still wasn't back. She debated on going out and searching for him and decided that if he wasn't back in five minutes she would call Loke out to help her search.

Luckily just as the five minutes were up, Orga appeared back in the cave. Lucy noticed that once again Virgo decided to color coordinate her outfit with her partner's. The smile Lucy had on her face quickly vanished when she saw the deep scowl on Orga's.

Lucy was about to greet him with a happy good morning when the Sabertooth Mage walked over and grabbed some of the breakfast, not even acknowledging his blonde partner. Lucy felt hurt by Orga's actions and was also deeply confused by them.

The blonde watched as her new partner just sat down and consumed his breakfast. Lucy wondered if Orga really was angry with her for what had happened last night. From Lucy's standpoint, Orga's actions just confirmed everything she had told Virgo earlier. There was no way that Orga would like her.

After several long minutes of awkward silence, Orga put away the cooking supplies and finished packing everything. Lucy just stood and watched as Orga continued to ignore her. Lucy began to feel overly self-conscious and bit her lip because she hated things being awkward between them. She considered Orga her friend—she didn't want him to be mad at her.

The silence was broken when Orga said gruffly, "I scouted a bit of the terrain already. If we leave now we can probably reach our destination by noon. We shouldn't run into any Vulcans because most were caught in the avalanche or they are below us. They wouldn't be able to catch up even if they knew where we were."

"O-ok Orga," Lucy said nervously. She didn't like the tone that Orga had used with her. Yep, he was definitely mad at her.

Lucy walked over and grabbed her items as struggled to fight back tears. She didn't want Orga to be mad at her.

Orga realized that he sounded really harsh when he spoke. He felt like an ass for being so rude, but he would be lying if he didn't admit that what Tiny had said this morning hurt him. No matter what happened on this mission it was like Dreyar was there constantly interfering.

Orga stiffened when he smelt salt and heard his partner sniffle. He wanted nothing more than to cross the small amount of distance between them and hold her again. He wanted to apologize for how he was acting, but he couldn't bring himself to say the words.

Lucy wiped away her tears and had hoped that Orga didn't notice that she was upset. She turned to him and said, "Well let's go."

With a mutual and awkward silence the two made their way out of the cave and once again started their journey up the mountain.

* * *

 

Several hours later, Orga and Lucy had finally reached the location where the job request had been sent from. Lucy gasped as they rounded a corner of the mountain and saw a huge gothic structured castle standing in front of them. Orga eyed the area and could only sense a weird magical energy.

As the two mages walked closer to the castle Lucy couldn't help but be amazed at how intricately designed the courtyard was. There were large gargoyles that hung from the flying buttresses and frozen fountains that had cherubim on them. Lucy felt a pang of sadness as she looked around at what must have been a once beautiful garden.

Then Lucy stopped dead in her tracks. She could feel the hair on her arms start to rise and felt an odd magic pressing against her own. Orga stopped and looked at his partner, because he could sense that something was different about her. "Are you ok Tiny," Orga asked.

Lucy noticed that Orga didn't seem to be as mad as he was earlier; maybe not talking for the past six hours cooled him down. Lucy finally admitted, "I think I am ok, but I feel really weird. I feel like there is a magical force pressing against my own. But it somehow feels familiar."

Orga continued to eye the area and used his God like powers to see if he detected anything unusual. He too could feel something, but he could also tell that whatever it was it was affecting his partner more than him.

Orga looked at the two large wooden doors ahead that had large gargoyle door knockers on them and said, "Let's hurry and get inside and found out who this Mr. Yamagata is."

Lucy just nodded her head in agreement. The magical force continued to get stronger and she began to feel the need to get inside as quickly as possible.

The two mages walked up to the large doors and Orga used the knocker to pound on the door. Lucy could hear the pound echo through the courtyard. It was so oddly silent here.

After several minutes, the door finally opened. Lucy looked around Orga and gasped at who she saw in front of them; however, Orga groaned when he saw that Mr. Yamagata looked just like the old perverted physician from Oshibana.

 


	16. Chapter 16

**Special Author's Note:**   **I don't want anyone to get confused so I am putting in this special note. We have skipped a day in Laxus's timeline, a full day after Laxus and Lucy's conversation in Chapter 13. The events happening to Laxus in this chapter take place at the same time as Lucy and Orga's second day on the mountain—so same day as events in chapter 15. Enjoy!**

* * *

 

Laxus awoke in the morning with a smirk on his face. He couldn't help it, the conversation that he had with Lucy the night before last still ran through his mind. All day at the guild yesterday he kept remembering how she blushed or how she stuttered. A woman had never made him feel like this before.

Laxus walked into is bathroom to take a morning shower before he headed to the guild. He turned on the shower at full blast before stepping inside. The hot water ran down his gorgeous pecks as he lathered up some soap. He was able to keep his amusement of what happened with Lucy the night before last contained at the guild yesterday. But he knew that his Gramps and his team noticed that he wasn't as grumpy as usual.

All day yesterday his Gramps and his team kept asking him if he was all right. The truth was he was better than all right. He was damn near ecstatic. Just because he didn't run around the guild like a crazy ass idiot like everyone else when they were happy, didn't mean he couldn't have a good day too.

Lucy had been on his mind ever since she got this stupid ass mission. He remembered how the last few weeks he noticed how her team mates kept getting called out on job requests and not her, but she still kept a smile on her face and cheered for her team. Since he was stuck at the guild helping his Gramps, he was able to observe the blonde from a distance.

At first Laxus began to notice the little things like how she always ordered a strawberry smoothie, how she talked to the Bookworm (Levy) about books, how she wasn't afraid to talk to Iron Dragon Slayer, how she was the smart one on her team, and how she always avoided Mira on the subject about guys.

Laxus had to admit that he felt relieved when Lucy admitted in her drunken state that she wasn't dating Natsu. Almost everyone at the guild thought that those two were destined for each other and for some reason that pissed Laxus off.

Finally Laxus turned off the shower and finished getting ready to go to the guild. He was just about to grab his coat and earphones when he smelt a familiar scent headed towards his house. He sighed and a few seconds later a small wooden totem doll floated up in front of one of his windows.

Laxus stepped outside and came face to face with Bickslow. "Hey Laxus," Bickslow said with his tongue sticking out.

"What are you doing here so early Bickslow?" Laxus growled at his teammate as he stepped outside.

Bickslow smirked slightly and said, "Well I thought it would be a good idea to come find out what has got you in such a good mood and to warn you that the moment you step through the guild doors Freed is going to jump at you and annoy the hell out of you until you tell him."

Laxus harrumphed and continued to walk in the direction of the guild. Bickslow saw that Laxus still wasn't ready to talk about what had happened the past few days so Bickslow said, "Well I guess I could finally just admit to Freed that you are obsessed with Cosplayer and maybe he will finally get the picture."

Laxus stopped dead in his tracks as he turned to his friend and growled, "What the hell did you just say?"

Unlike Freed, Bickslow did not worship the ground Laxus walked on. Bickslow wasn't afraid to sometimes poke fun at his leader; however, Bickslow still admired Laxus in his own way. Bickslow respected Laxus before the Fantasia incident for being his leader. Now he had a deeper respect for him because not only was the Lightning Dragon Slayer still his leader, but he had also started to lead Fairy Tail along with his Gramps. No matter what anyone else said, Bickslow knew that Laxus cared about Fairy Tail.

Bickslow stuck his tongue back out as his mouth and with a grin said, "Well I am not as dense as Freed about matters concerning the opposite sex. The man is incredibly book smart, but when it comes to women he is completely useless. I mean the man is dating one of the hottest chicks in Fiore and he doesn't know what to do with her."

"That chick's younger sister is your girlfriend, remember," Laxus said indifferently as he started to head towards the guild again.

Bickslow grinned wider and said, "Yeah Lisanna is one feisty babe."

Laxus smiled slightly. He was glad that his teammates had each found someone that cared about them. He was also glad that while he travelled before Tenroujima, that his team was welcomed back into Fairy Tail's arms—no questions asked. However, Laxus found it amusing that each of his teammates ended up landing a Strauss sibling.

After Bickslow was done fantasizing about his hot girlfriend he said, "Well are we gonna talk about Cosplayer now?"

Laxus's face turned into a scowl as he continued to head towards the guild. Bickslow sighed as he rolled his eyes under his helmet and said, "Laxus after Master gave you the day off the other day, you know after you went Vulcan-shit on the Sabertooth mage at the train station, the guild kept hearing reports about your dispute. Half of the guild heard about what happened from random citizens of Magnolia. Then the next day you were just as pissed off. But yesterday and even a little today, you seem to be in a much better mood—well better mood for you."

"Since when did you get so serious and observant Bickslow?" Laxus asked annoyed.

Bickslow then plastered his signature tongue grin at Laxus and said, "I've always been observant Laxus. I just like to let Freed and Ever think they are smarter, because I don't mind people seeing me as a pervert. They have much more fragile egos."

Laxus just grunted. He knew Bickslow was smarter than he appeared. He just didn't like being confronted about Blondie.

When Bickslow noticed that Laxus had no intention of saying anything he continued, "So one thing I have noticed over the past few weeks is how Cosplayer hasn't gone on any missions with her team. I have also noticed that no one has requested her until now."

Laxus still continued to walk towards the guild with his coat slung over his shoulders. Bickslow added, "I also noticed that before the train incident occurred that your eyes tended to linger over Cosplayer a bit longer than it did everyone else. I mean the girl has a smockin' body, but I think it is more than that." Then Laxus heard Bickslow's babies, " _More than that, more than that!_ "

The Lightning Dragon Slayer remained silent once again when Bickslow finished with, "Look Laxus I didn't come here to force you to tell me anything, but I wanted to let you know that you have my support."

Laxus arched his eyebrow at his friend's comment and said, "What is that supposed to mean Bicks?"

"You have my support with Cosplayer—you know if you ever decide to stop mind humping her and just ask her out," Bickslow said with a grin spread across his face.

Laxus growled at his friend's comment which only made Bickslow bark out a laugh, but then Bickslow grew serious and said, "I just wanted you to know because I think if you ever do decide to do something you will face some pretty strong opposition."

Laxus's mind immediately went to Orga, but Bickslow said, "From what Lisanna has said—Natsu is in love with Cosplayer and Gray might be too."

Laxus stopped again and all he could ask in a near growl was, "What?"

"Apparently after the games, Natsu asked Lisanna to help him sort something out. Lisanna told me Natsu was trying to figure out how he felt about Cosplayer and from what she told me it sounds a lot like love," Bickslow admitted to his friend.

Laxus didn't know how to take this information. He knew from when Blondie called him that first night she said she wasn't with Natsu, but she never said she didn't like him. Just that he didn't know what she wanted. What if Natsu did figure out what she wanted? But then where did that leave Gray?

"What about the Ice-Stripper?" Laxus asked seriously.

"That I do not know about. I mean Gray has a beautiful woman constantly throwing herself at him, yeah Juvia is crazy as shit, but still he makes no advances at her. But Juvia always calls Cosplayer Love Rival," Bickslow admitted as he shrugged his shoulders.

Laxus just let out a deep breath as he walked through the streets of Magnolia. He had been so confident yesterday that maybe Blondie was into him. He admitted to her the last time that they spoke that he wanted to be her friend. Would he even get that chance once she was back? After all, her team would be back and they always seemed to consume the Blonde's time and energy. What if she fell for one of her teammates? Gray and Natsu were still decent looking, sure they weren't as hot as him, but still they had something that he didn't—her respect and trust. At least that is what he thought.

He knew from Gramps that both Erza and Gray were supposed to be back today. Laxus scowled as he thought about how well that conversation was going to go. Erza was probably going to go nuts and take her anger out on someone. But the real question was—how was Natsu going to react?

Bickslow and Laxus reached the guild without saying anymore on the subject. Bickslow could tell that Laxus was deep in thought and he didn't want to bother him any more on the subject, because Bickslow's suspicions had already been confirmed by his friend's reactions.

As the two were about to open the guild doors, Laxus smelt flames and then heard, "WHERE THE HELL IS LUCE!?"

The two elder mages walked into the guild and saw that it was a total wreck. There was ice all over the floor, a sword stuck in one of the pillars, and Natsu was on the bar covered in flames.

Bickslow looked over at his friend and said, "Well good luck with that," before he turned and started to make his way over to his girlfriend who was eyeing her childhood friend with sympathy.

Laxus was about to growl at Natsu when he saw a giant arm reach from downstairs and knock Natsu out unconscious. The Lightning Dragon Slayer let out a sigh and was thankful that his Gramps had intervened when he did.

The tiny Master walked out of his office and yelled, "Erza, Gray, Happy, and Laxus please come to my office now. Also, grab Natsu on your way up."

Gray looked pissed but listened to his Master. Happy flew over to Natsu, grabbed him by his vest, and flew him upstairs as Erza pulled her sword out of the pillar and followed her teammates.

Laxus groaned on the inside as he followed behind the rest of Team Natsu up to his Gramp's office. He knew that the conversation about to take place was not going to be a pretty one. His Gramps was convinced that once Lucy's team saw that she was safe on the communication lacrima that everything would be ok, but after witnessing a small part of Natsu's breakdown a moment ago—Laxus wasn't entirely convinced.

Laxus closed the door to his Gramps's office behind him. The Lightning Dragon Slayer could smell fear, anger, and worry coming off of Blondie's team. After the rest of Team Natsu got settled in the available chairs, Natsu regained consciousness. The Fire Dragon Slayer continued to stay on the floor and pouted as he crossed his legs and arms. Laxus just steadily leaned back against the wall by the door as he closed his eyes and hoped he wouldn't be dragged into the conversation.

Erza was the first to speak and said bluntly, "Master…Natsu, Gray, Happy, and I all just returned within the hour. When we asked Mira where Lucy was she would not answer us. No one would answer us. Where is she?"

Master Makarov took a seat behind his desk. The tiny master looked towards Natsu, Happy, Erza and Gray and said seriously, "Now listen up. While you four were all out on your last mission Lucy received a special job request. This was her first special job request since the Grand Magic Games. She was requested to go with Sabertooth's Orga Nanagear and left here a few days ago. With any luck she will reach her destination today."

Laxus winced at the shouts that erupted inside his Gramp's office. Natsu was once again on fire and yelled the loudest, "WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE LEFT WITH THAT SABERTOOTH LIGHTNING BASTARD!"

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT WAS HER FIRST JOB!?" Gray yelled as he flung his shirt off.

"MASTER YOU LET HER GO ALONE AND UNESCORTED? SHE IS A YOUNG WOMAN AND HE WAS ON MINERVA'S TEAM!" Erza even yelled at her Master. The scarlet haired mage was stunned by her Master's actions.

Happy just stood motionless on the ground next to Natsu and tried not to cry.

"SILENCE!" Master Makarov shouted over the team as he slightly grew in size and then said sternly, "After you three calm down I can answer all of your questions."

The team grudgingly quieted down and all took up their seats once again. Erza grimly said, "Forgive us Master, but your words shocked us. Please continue."

Master Makarov sighed and said, "Thank you Erza. Now a few days ago our guild and Sabertooth both received a special request from a Mr. Yamagata who apparently lives on top of Samui Yama."

The team gasped in unison and Master Makarov just raised his hand to silence them before he continued, "Lucy had to leave almost immediately after we received the mission and yes Gray this was the first mission request she had received. Luckily Orga was nearby on a mission and they left here together that morning; however, Lucy will mostly likely be gone the next few weeks. Now as for your fears concerning Orga…I am aware that he was on Minerva's team; however, Master Sting has assured me that Orga is not the same man that he once was. I trust his judgment on the matter and I have no concerns that he would do anything to harm Lucy."

Laxus could tell that Team Natsu wasn't convinced in the slightest. Everything was about to go to hell when Gray said seriously as he looked down at the ground, "Master, I don't mind that Lucy is out on a mission. But what I do not understand is how you could let her go with _him_. He laughed at her." Gray clenched his fists in anger and could not say more even though he wanted to.

Natsu and Erza grimaced in silence and Happy finally let the tears he was holding back fall down his little blue cheeks. Master Makarov just sighed and said, "Gray, would you be comfortable if Gajeel and Lucy went on a mission together or if Erza and Jellal went on a mission together?"

Team Natsu looked up at their Master in confusion when he added, "Orga is a man who has made mistakes yes, but so have many of our other friends. What happened inside Sabertooth's guild while we were frozen on Tenroujima was a terrible thing. Former Master Jiemma and Minerva were power hungry fools who hurt their guild in more ways than one. In some ways Orga is a victim of those circumstances. Yes he should be responsible for his actions, but since Jiemma and Minerva's disappearance—Orga has been nothing but a good and loyal mage of Sabertooth. Also, form what Sting said Orga was one of the first to apologize to Yukino. Natsu, you and Sting seem to get along fine now. So what is so different about Orga?"

Laxus stood in silence and listened. He was curious about how the Fire Dragon would answer. Laxus could hear Natsu's pulse and knew that he had yet to calm down entirely. Then the pink haired mage punched the floor and said, "Orga is different than Sting."

"How so?" Master Makarov asked as his eyes studied Natsu intently.

"I know he is different because at the games he smelt like that Minerva bitch," Natsu said grimly.

Erza, Gray, and Happy all felt sick to their stomachs and Master Makarov just replied, "I am well aware that Minerva and Orga were intimate with each other, but that is the past."

"I DON'T GIVE A DAMN IF IT IS IN THE PAST! I AM GOING AFTER HER!" Natsu yelled and started to head towards the door.

Erza yelled at Natsu, "NATSU SIT DOWN AND LET MASTER EXPLAIN! HE WOULDN'T PUT LUCY IN DANGER ON PURPOSE!"

"Natsu, Lucy is a Fairy Tail Mage. She is more than capable of defending herself. Also, the request she received specifically said that you, Erza, Gray, and even Happy are not allowed to help her on this mission. Plus, Lucy is already doing well; she has already helped with the capture of some criminals on this mission who had been targeting young women. Also, Laxus spoke with her the night before last and our Lucy is doing just fine," Master added with a smile as he turned and looked at his grandson.

Laxus wanted to growl and curse. How dare the old man turn the conversation onto him! He could sense happiness coming off of his Gramps, but he could sense confusion and pure rage coming off of Lucy's team.

The Lightning Dragon Slayer opened his eyes to see Erza studying him intently as she tried to figure out why he would call Lucy; whereas, Natsu and Gray looked like they wanted to pound him into oblivion.

"Laxus, what did Lucy say? Is she ok?" Erza asked sternly but Laxus could tell that she was truly worried about her blonde friend.

Laxus waited a moment and said in a nonchalant voice, "I had to follow up with her after we received the report from the Rune Knights. She is fine."

"Why in the hell would you call her though?" Gray asked coldly.

But before Laxus could respond to Gray's question, Natsu yelled, "Dammit Laxus, that isn't a good enough answer!"

"Natsu and Gray if you would both calm down for a moment I think it would be best to call Lucy now. I gave her a communication lacrima before she left so that we could communicate to her. That is how Laxus spoke with her. Now would you like to speak with her?" Master Makarov added, but not before he shot Laxus a cheesy grin.

Laxus was pissed now. His Gramps only told them that he talked to Lucy just to piss off her team even more. He knew damn well that his Gramps could have just told them that from the beginning. What kind of game was his Gramps playing?

The blonde Dragon Slayer could tell that Natsu was debating on whether or not to agree to his Gramps's terms, or try and storm past him and Erza to try and find Lucy even though he wouldn't have a clue on where to look.

Gray just sighed and nodded his head at his Master. Finally, Natsu relaxed when he heard Happy say, "Natsu I want to talk to Lucy."

Natsu looked defeated and nodded his head. Erza looked relieved and turned towards their Master so that he could call their friend. Master Makarov pulled out his communication lacrima and attempted to call Lucy.

After several minutes, the room remained absolutely silent. Even Laxus felt anxious. Why in the hell was Blondie not responding? Laxus could sense Natsu's anger rise again as he shouted, "WHERE THE HELL IS SHE GRAMPS?"

Master Makarov continued to stare at the lacrima with concern. Without saying anything to his children in his office he decided to call someone else. After a few seconds, the smug and handsome face of Sting Eucliffe appeared on the lacrima. With a smirk Sting said, "Oi, Master Makarov what can Sabertooth do for you today? Are you ready to admit that we are the better guild yet?"

"Hello Sting sorry to bother you, but I was wondering if you might assist us for a moment?" Master Makarov said with a smile.

A confident grin spread across Sting's face as he replied, "Do you need us to take care of some bad guys that are too tough for your Fairies Master Makarov?"

Gray and Laxus both snorted at Sting's cockiness, whereas Erza and Natsu grew more impatient. Natsu was just about to explode in anger again when Master Makarov continued, "Actually I was wondering if you have heard from Orga today. Lucy's teammates are back and would very much like to speak with her, but we cannot reach her."

Sting grew serious and put his arms behind his head and said, "I spoke to him the night before last and they were both fine, but just a sec!" Sting then turned around and yelled, "Hey Rogue can you try and call Orga-san for me!?"

The Fairy Tail mages could hear Rogue in the background solemnly say, "Give me a moment."

Just like a few moments earlier, silence filled the room again. Laxus could hear Rogue say, "Sting I cannot reach him."

Master Makarov's smiled faded from his face and before all hell broke loose again Gray said, "Sting is Yukino around by any chance?"

Sting looked at the Ice-Mage questionably and said, "Yeah she is here with Rogue, why?"

"Loke told me once that he had the hots for Pisces when she is in her mother form," Gray admitted as he sweat dropped, "Could Yukino ask her spirits to contact Loke in the Celestial World?"

Laxus heard the soft voice of Yukino say that she had already passed the message on to Pisces, but that it might take a few moments. Laxus watched as Erza clinched her fists, Gray stripped off his pants now, Happy tried not to cry again, and Natsu tried to remain calm. Laxus was amazed at how worked up each of them got over the busty blonde. He knew that she was important to each of them, but now what Mavis had said the other day started to sink in. It was as though Lucy were like a Master—in fact if you looked past their team name; it was as though Lucy were the real leader of Team Natsu. After all the team didn't even form until after she joined the guild.

Finally Laxus's thoughts were interrupted when he heard Yukino say, "I'm sorry but Pisces said that they were intercepted by the Celestial Spirit King."

"MUSTACHE!" Happy yelled as he threw his arms back.

Yukino's face replaced Sting's on the communication lacrima as she said, "I am sorry, but Pisces was told that any contact from the outside world to Lucy or Orga is strictly forbidden, even my spirits are not allowed to converse with hers for the time being even in the Celestial World. I am sorry I could not be of more help."

Master Makarov's face softened when he saw the distressed looking Yukino starring back at him and said, "That is all right Yukino, thank you for trying anyways. Please let us know if you hear from either Orga or Lucy though."

Yukino smiled slightly and said, "Of course Master Makarov we will." Then the lacrima went dark.

After several minutes of silence, Natsu said grimly, "I'm going after her. I don't care if some stupid old bastard said I couldn't come. I am going and bringing her back." Laxus could tell that Natsu was beyond pissed, but he could smell something else on Natsu that made Laxus's blood boil.

Before anyone could respond to Natsu's statement Master Mavis appeared in front of them. Natsu tried to walk past and ignore Mavis when she said, "Natsu if you want Lucy to survive you will remain at the guild."

Natsu stopped dead in his tracks and Master Makarov sighed. Laxus knew from the beginning that Master Makarov and Mavis were keeping something from him about this mission Blondie had to go on—he just didn't know what.

"Master Mavis, could you please explain what you mean? What do you mean if Lucy is to survive?" Erza asked as she fought to control her emotions.

However, it was Master Makarov that answered, "My children all you need to know is that this mission was given to Lucy. It is up to her to complete it."

"But we are a team Gramps! We are Team Natsu! We face our dangers together!" Natsu yelled in defiance.

Mavis looked at Natsu with soft eyes and said, "This time you can't help her Natsu. The truth is if any of you go, you would only get in the way. Or worse, you would get yourselves killed or Lucy killed."

Laxus's muscles tensed when he heard what Mavis had said. What had Blondie gotten herself into now?

Master Makarov looked at his children with deep sympathy in his eyes. He knew that the news would affect them deeply. Everyone in the guild loved Lucy—he hoped that even his grandson had started to see how wonderful this young girl was. Finally Master Makarov added, "Lucy was asked on this mission for a reason and this time we cannot help her. The only thing we can do is have faith in her that she will return to us. Until Lucy returns, or until we hear from her, the rest of Team Natsu is to remain in Magnolia. In fact, each of you will be staying at the guild so that Mira, Laxus, and I can keep an eye on you."

Erza looked ashamed and said, "I am sorry for my actions Master. I was just concerned about Lucy."

Master Makarov smiled weakly at the powerful S-class mage and replied, "I know you were Erza. I know that you all are, but Lucy will be fine."

After several minutes, the rest of Team Natsu finally started to calm down. Happy began to tell everyone how Natsu and Gajeel had quickly finished rebuilding all the houses that they destroyed because Lily had tricked them into making it a competition. The two Dragon Slayers apparently tried to see who could build the most impressive houses the quickest.

Laxus dismissed himself from the Team's report, because he knew he would just have to finish their paperwork later and see it all again. As he made his way through the guild he grabbed a beer from Mira before he headed over to his team's table.

As he sat down, Laxus heard Bickslow ask, "So how did it go?"

Laxus just grunted and then heard the rest of Team Natsu come down the stairs to rejoin the rest of the guild. The Lightning Dragon slayer could sense that nearly everyone at the guild was on edge as they waited for Natsu to blow up again.

Luckily Mira smiled at Team Natsu and asked how each of their missions went. As the rest of Team Natsu started to explain their missions, the guild's nerves began to calm down. Everyone wanted to hear how Erza's mission with Ichiya went, but the scarlet haired mage refused to discuss it. All that could be heard about Gray's mission was from Juvia said. Everyone groaned as Juvia said how handsome and brave Gray-sama was—even though the mission had nothing to do with fighting.

Finally Happy said, "Our mission went really well too, but Natsu wanted to hurry back because he had to tell Lucy something important."

Laxus's ears picked up at this bit of information. The Lightning Dragon Slayer looked over and saw Natsu sitting with his back to the bar and his arms rested back on the counter top. The smell that made Laxus's blood boil was there again.

Mira finished drying a mug and asked the little blue Exceed, "Oh really? What does Natsu want to tell Lucy?"

"That he lllllllllllllllllllikes her," Happy said with a grin before he grabbed a fish to eat.

When Natsu didn't deny what Happy said the rest of the guild went dead silent. Laxus let out a low growl at the sight of the Fire Dragon Slayer. Luckily only his teammates heard their leader's displeasure, because Laxus's growl was drowned out by Mira yelling, "PINK HAIRED BROWN EYED BABIES!"

 


	17. Chapter 17

Lucy heard Orga moan as they stared at the tiny man in front of them. The little old man looked exactly like the physician from Oshibana and was no taller than Master Makarov or Mr. Yajima, but he had a long white beard and mustache that went down to his feet. He wore a little black beret and long black dress robes—he looked like a tiny professor. The old man's eyes shone as he said, "Greetings my young friends. You have made excellent timing. Please hurry inside, quickly now, because you are probably exhausted from your long journey."

Lucy looked at Orga who just stared at the man in front of them. Was this really the same physician from Oshibana? Lucy turned to the little old man who greeted them and asked, "Excuse me sir are you Mr. Yamagata and are you the physician that we met in Oshibana?"

The little man chuckled and said, "Yes Miss Heartfilia I am Mr. Yamagata and no I am not the same man that you met in Oshibana. That was my twin brother, but that can be explained later. Hurry, hurry come inside!" Then the little man bounced back excitedly as Lucy and Orga passed through the large doors.

Lucy gasped as she walked past Mr. Yamagata and marveled at the room she entered. The foyer had high ceilings with beams that soared above them. Huge candle lit chandeliers hung from the ceiling and rich oak floors stretched before their feet. Lucy turned to see Orga eye the room questionably, no doubt checking for danger.

Mr. Yamagata cleared his throat and said, "Please let me show you two to your rooms and where you will be staying for the remainder of your time here. After you have settled in and relaxed for a bit, I will come get you around six o'clock so that we may dine together and discuss the details of the request. Please follow me." Mr. Yamagata stretched out his small arm and signaled for Lucy and Orga to follow him.

As the three walked in silence, Lucy was left speechless by vastness of the castle. Lucy was not unaccustomed to vast wealth, having grown up as a Heartfilia she was quite used to the grandeur of mansions and castles. But this castle was entirely different. Lucy wanted to stop and touch nearly every object that they went by. Not even the King in Crocus had tapestries this fine, or paintings that beautiful, or objects that rare.

About twenty minutes, and hundreds of stairs, later the three came to a wing in the castle that contained several doors. Mr. Yamagata turned to Lucy and Orga and said, "Miss Heartfilia your room will be the one on the right and Mr. Nanagear yours will be this one on the left. There is actually a small living room that separates the two rooms, because you two should not wander too far from each other while you are here."

Lucy noticed that Orga's muscles tensed and she looked at his face to only see that once again his facial expression was unreadable. Did he not want to be near her? Why was he in such a bad mood today anyways? Was he upset that he had to be so close to her last night?

As Lucy continued to question in her head why her new friend seemed so pissed off, Mr. Yamagata just smiled at the two and then pointed to a door across from their rooms on the other side of the hallway and said, "In this room you will find a kitchen and dining area that has already been stocked for your stay. If you should need anything else there are small gems in each of your rooms for you to contact me. Now I will leave you two to rest before I return at six."

Before Lucy could ask any questions, the little old man quickly turned around and disappeared down the hallway. Lucy then turned to Orga who had already made his way into his bedroom and shut the door.

The Fairy Tail wizard didn't know whether to be angry or hurt by Orga's actions. Lucy just snorted at the God Slayer's bedroom door and then made her way to her room as well. As Lucy entered her room she nearly squealed at how wonderful it was. Ever since Lucy joined Fairy Tail, it became a rare treat to stay in a nice big room. Mostly because Erza and Lucy were afraid to stay anywhere too nice, because Natsu and Gray might destroy the building—then they would have to pay for it.

Lucy removed her pack and wanted to immediately run and jump on the large king sized bed. Lucy could already tell from the big fluffy white comforter and pillows that it was going to be the best bed in the entire world. But Lucy took one look at her appearance in the full length mirror next to an intricately designed wardrobe and decided to wait.

The blonde mage eagerly looked at the rest of the room with intrigue. It was as though everything had been designed for her specifically in mind. The color of the room was done in golds, whites, and pale pinks. There was a huge writing desk with all sorts of quills and fancy paper and there was a large bookcase next to the desk that contained books that Lucy had never even heard of. She would have to call out Crux later to help her identify some of these.

Finally Lucy came to what must be several large windows, but all were covered with thick curtains that stretched all the way from the ceiling to the floor. Lucy pulled back the velvety curtain and gasped at the site and then screamed in delight. Right outside of her room she could see steam rising from a hot spring, but then Lucy was shocked that there wasn't snow everywhere. In fact, it was very green around the hot spring. Lucy looked up out her window and saw what appeared to be a magical barrier that blocked the snow. The blonde stood amazed by how magical everything looked.

Lucy then scrunched up her nose when she saw her reflection in the window. She looked a like a wreck and decided that it would be best to bathe before dinner. Lucy saw that it was after 3:00 p.m. so she decided to take a bath and clean up before she had to meet Orga and Mr. Yamagata for dinner.

The Celestial Spirit Mage tried to summon out Virgo, but instead of the maid spirit appearing before her Loke stood in her room with her bags. "Hello My Princess, how are you doing this afternoon? Is that barbaric ape from Sabertooth treating you well or do you need better company?"

Lucy looked annoyed at Loke. All she wanted to do was soak in a nice long bath and enjoy a few well deserved hours alone. She was tired of all these men in her life interrupting her girl time and messing with her mind. "Loke what the hell are you doing in my room?" Lucy asked annoyed.

Loke just chuckled as he began to unpack Lucy's bags for her and started to put her clothes away in her drawers. The lion spirit smiled at his beautiful master as he picked up a pair of her lacey black panties and said, "Well I thought it would be fun if we pretended like we were a married couple on our honeym-," But Loke could not finish his perverted sentence, because his master lunged at him.

"I'M SORRY PRINCESS, I WILL STOP!" Loke yelled as he dodged an, what would have been, intense Lucy Kick.

Lucy snatched away her panties from Loke and yelled, "What do you think you are doing you perverted Lion?!"

Loke readjusted his sunglasses and said with a smile, "I'm sorry Princess. I did not mean to rile you up, but you just look so cute when you are angry."

Lucy snorted as she started to pack away her items before Loke offered to help again. As Lucy continued to put away her belongings that Loke brought from the Celestial Spirit World, Loke grew serious and said, "Actually I came in Virgo's place for another reason Lucy."

The blonde mage paused when she heard the tone of Loke's voice. There were only a few times Lucy had ever heard Loke get serious with her and she knew that this time he was not joking around. She looked over at her friend who was now starring out the window at the hot springs with a somber expression on his face. "What is it Loke," Lucy asked now worried.

"Lucy, as you are probably aware there is something odd about this place. Your spirits could feel it the moment you entered the mountain, but it grew the moment you stepped inside the courtyard. We felt something press against all of us," Loke said grimly.

Lucy remembered how she felt the hair on her arms rise and trembled slightly at the memory. It was the strangest sensation she had ever felt. Lucy just nodded her head at Loke. The loyal spirit looked at his master and said, "I want you to be extra careful while you are here and as much as I hate to admit it, please do not stray too far from the Sabertooth Mage."

Lucy looked taken aback at Loke's honesty and asked, "Why not? What do you mean? What do you think it was that we felt?"

Loke just smiled slightly and said, "I told the Spirit King that you would just ask more questions if I brought anything up."

Before the shock of Loke's response could register with Lucy, Loke placed his head on her forehead and said, "We can talk more tonight after you eat, I promise. For now you should do the things Lucy Heartfilia likes to do." Loke then made a small bag of items appear before him and he handed it to Lucy. The bag was a dark blue color with a bright pink ribbon attached. He smiled at his friend and said, "Virgo made this for you. It is a bubble bath set from our world; it will help relax you." Then with a wink, Loke disappeared back into the celestial world.

Lucy reached out to stop Loke, but was too late. How dare that lion come here and get her all worried and then just disappear again! Didn't he know by now that she had anxiety issues?! She let out a sigh, but then looked down at the bag of items Loke had left her. Then without even realizing it, the smell of the bag had already begun to relax her and relieve her stress. The blonde then decided that she was too tired to care about what Loke had said for the moment. She had spent all day yesterday, and most of today, climbing the toughest mountain in all of Fiore and decided to take her friend's advice and just relax for a little bit—even if she didn't want to.

The Fairy Tail mage grabbed some of her clothes and then made her way into the greatest bathroom she had ever seen. Lucy wanted to get on her knees and weep at how beautiful everything was. The bathroom was nearly half of the size of her bedroom. The floor was made of smooth stones varying in shapes and sizes and different colors of cool gray. In one of the corners of the bathroom sat the largest Jacuzzi bathtub that Lucy had ever seen with a beautiful stone ledge next to it that was perfect for resting drinks, books, or her toiletries. Lucy then looked around the corner and saw a huge walk in shower covered in the same stones.

In front of the bathtub was the largest and softest white plushy rug that she had ever seen. To match the rug, there hung several big soft towels next to the bathtub and shower. Lucy then noticed a closet and opened it to find all sorts of shampoos, soaps, extra towels, and a dirty clothes hamper.

However, what made the room even more spectacular was the lighting—it was absolutely perfect. On the ceiling there was a soft track lighting that filled the room, plus all over the bathroom stood little trees with soft white lights placed in them.

Lucy gigged as she began to strip down and prepared for the greatest bath experience of her life. The blonde decided that she wanted to use the shower first so that she could rinse off all of the grime on her body. She quickly discarded her items and threw them in the dirty clothes hamper before she grabbed some shampoo and body and headed into the shower.

The blonde mage shivered slightly as the cold stone touched her bare feet, but she let out a relieved sigh when she turned on the shower water and let hot water and steam relax her body. As Lucy showered, she began to hum to herself and thought that this mission was already absolutely fantastic. If she had this room and bathroom for the next three weeks, she didn't care what the mission was.

After Lucy had washed all the dirt off of her body, she felt incredibly clean; however, she wanted to sit in that bathtub more than anything right now. She quickly grabbed a couple of the soft fluffy towels and wrapped one around her body and the other around her hair as she made her way over to the bathtub.

She turned on the faucet and added just a little bit of the bubble bath that Virgo made for her. Once again, Lucy let out a deep sigh at the smell of the product. The smell reminded her of a time when she and Loke did a solo mission together after the games since she needed rent money and on the way back she, Plue, Loke, and Virgo sat on a hill to watch a meteor shower together. It was one of the greatest memories she had with her spirits.

Lucy shed her towel and once the bathtub had been filled to Lucy's desired height she turned off the faucet and then lowered herself into the hot water.

As Lucy leaned back in the large bathtub she gasped at the sight above her. Directly above her was a large sun roof where she could see the snow falling from the mountain. The large window had a magic spell placed on it to prevent any penetration of outside light in the bathroom, but also melted any snow that threatened to stick.

The Fairy Tail mage sighed as she watched the snow fall for several minutes. She could feel the magical affects from Virgo's bubble bath start to affect her. She had been so nervous the past few days about what this mission was about, her teammates return to the guild, and two very well built lightning men.

Lucy bit her lip as she thought about Laxus and Orga. The two were so different, but seemed so similar at the same time. They were both incredibly strong mages who both leaned on the more serious side with their personalities. Laxus was incredibly hot and Lucy moaned as her dream from a few nights ago still plagued her memory. The way his abs looked in the moonlight, how it felt to run her fingers through his hair, how hot his kisses felt on her skin. It was clearly the sexiest and most vivid dream Lucy had ever had, but at the same time it made her chest hurt. She was not close to Laxus at all. Even though he said he wanted to be her friend, how exactly were they going to go about and do that? She knew next to nothing about the blonde Dragon Slayer. All she really knew of him was what she heard from the other people in the guild who grew up with him—like Natsu, Cana, Gray, Erza, and even Lisanna.

Lucy rolled her eyes as she thought about her pink haired best friend. She guessed that the only thing she knew about Laxus from Natsu was that he wants to fight him all the time. Lucy's face then turned into a scowl as she thought about Natsu, Erza, Gray, and even Happy. She missed them all so much and hoped that they wouldn't be mad at her for being gone for so long, but then they had been gone for several weeks too. Lucy tried not to worry too much about it for now, because she remembered that Master Makarov said he would try to call her when they all returned. She assumed she hadn't heard anything yet, because they were all still out—whereas she was now out on a mission with Orga.

The Celestial Spirit Mage felt like her heart skipped a beat when she thought about the God Slayer that she had traveled the last several days with. The blonde was amazed at how quickly she and Orga had become friends. She then moaned and slid herself down into the water more when she thought about how insane the last few days have been. It was like the universe had pushed her and Orga together at a time when she desperately needed a good friend. Lucy felt her heart swell as she thought about the gruff green haired mage. She had been so incredibly lonely these past few weeks and it was as though Orga swooped down out of nowhere and filled that gap in her empty heart with his awkwardness, manliness (Lucy sweat dropped a little because she heard that word in Elfman's voice now), and his kindness.

Lucy smiled at how Orga didn't seem to mind that they have been thrust together by such odd circumstances. Lucy realized that she didn't mind, in fact it was quite the opposite with her. She was very thankful that Orga was here with her and that she got the chance to get to know him—even if he had been one of Minerva's teammates.

* * *

 

However, the blondes smile quickly faded as she thought about Orga's actions today. To Lucy it felt like he had pushed her away and she couldn't understand why. Everything had been going so well—well minus every odd situation that had arisen while on this mission. Lucy wasn't sure if she did something to push Orga away, but she sure as hell wasn't going to let this distance between them continue for the next three weeks. She was determined to get to the bottom of it, even if she had to force it out of him tonight.

After Lucy finished bathing, she decided that it would be best to get ready for dinner with Mr. Yamagata and Orga. Lucy opened up her wardrobe and saw that Virgo had actually packed quite a few warm clothes for her, granted she could tell most were from the spirit world, but she didn't mind.

Lucy chose a light pink, soft cashmere turtle neck sweater with a soft gray mini skirt. She picked out black tights to go underneath the skirt with thigh high stockings that matched her sweater. Lucy decided to leave her hair down for tonight, because the amazing shampoo she used made her hair feel so incredibly soft. Lucy noticed that it was nearly 6 p.m. so she quickly put on some black sparkly ballerina flats and went to find Mr. Yamagata and Orga.

When Lucy stepped out into the hallway her stomach growled at the smell of something marvelous coming from across the hall. Lucy was about to walk through the door where the smell was coming from when she heard Orga's door open. Lucy turned around excitedly and said, "Good evening Orga!"

"Hey," Orga said with little to no emotion.

Then the awkwardness and coldness she felt from Orga all day had returned. Lucy looked at the God Slayer, who in turn refused to make eye contact with her, and asked nervously, "U-um Orga is everything all right?"

"Yes," Orga replied a little too quickly and gruffly.

Lucy narrowed her eyes at Orga and said, "Well everything doesn't seem all right."

When Orga didn't respond, Lucy began to get more worried. She tried to think of everything she said and did that would make him act this way towards her. The only conclusion that Lucy could come up with was that he was upset at her for them being naked together. Then her face paled when she thought that maybe she did something in her sleep and didn't know it.

The two stood in silence for a long time and Lucy hated it. She hated not knowing what was wrong with Orga and she hated not knowing how she could fix it. Lucy felt her checks burn from her anger as she fought back tears and said, "Orga I don't know what I did to make you upset at me, but whatever it was please know that I am sorry and I didn't mean to offend you. I care a lot about you and I don't want to let, well…whatever it is hurt our friendship."

As Lucy talked a few tears fell down her cheeks even though she tried so desperately hard to hold them back. She quickly wiped the tears away and said, "I understand if you don't want to see someone like me as your friend, but I hope that we can work together these next few weeks like we have these last few days. I really do enjoy your company and I just want everything to go back to normal."

Lucy couldn't look at Orga after she admitted the truth to him. It hurt so badly and she felt so vulnerable. She hated feeling vulnerable.

Lucy then heard Orga try to say, "Tiny I'm s-."

"AHHHH, you two are here at last. Please follow me. I have already prepared a lovely meal for my wonderful guests," Mr. Yamagata said as he interrupted Orga. The tiny man then turned and went back into the kitchen area across from Lucy and Orga's rooms.

Lucy quickly turned around and avoided any sort of eye contact with Orga. She didn't know what he was about to say, but she didn't think she was ready to hear whatever it was. Her heart ached and she felt like she was about to throw up.

As Lucy walked into the kitchen her mouth instantly watered at all of the delicious smells. Once again she marveled at the beauty of the kitchen area. There was a large rustic table that had already been set for them with the finest dining ware. There were beautiful beige, marbled countertops with stainless steel appliances and rich wood cabinets. The room had such a homey feel that it perked up Lucy's spirits a little.

Finally Mr. Yamagata said, "Pleas sit down my young mages and I will bring your food for you!"

Lucy went and took seat and noticed that Orga sat directly across from her. She did everything in her power to not look at him, but she could feel his gaze burning into her. Luckily she didn't have to wait long as Mr. Yamagata started to sit down hot bread, salads, soups, rice, lobster, chocolate fondue, and almost a hundred other things.

Lucy watched as the little man ran around the kitchen excitedly. Finally he said, "Please eat up my friends. I hardly ever have visitors so it is nice getting to use my cooking skills on someone other than my cat." The Celestial Mage just smiled and decided to try the soup first. She was amazed at how delicious it tasted, it was clearly the best Miso Soup she had ever tried in her life.

After nearly an hour of Mr. Yamagata asking Lucy if she wanted more of anything or trying to give Orga another steak, Lucy nearly dropped her spoon when she heard Mr. Yamagata ask, "Lucy would you like a strawberry parfait? It was always Layla's favorite."

Lucy felt like her heart had stopped working and she turned to see a smiling Mr. Yamagata starring at her. The blonde could barely manage to say, "My M-mama?'

Mr. Yamagata smiled sadly at the young girl across from him and said, "Yes I knew your mother from a long time ago. She was younger than you are now. I knew her before she married your father. She was almost like an apprentice to me. You look so much like her that I nearly cried when I saw you at my doorstep earlier today."

The Fairy Tail mage felt like her entire world had just turned upside down. "How did you know my Mama? When did you meet her?" Lucy started to ask.

"I will answer all of your questions Lucy, but perhaps we should take this conversation into the living room area between your rooms. Please head across the hall and I will bring some tea for the both of you shortly," Mr. Yamagata said as he jumped down from his chair and disappeared behind one of the counters.

Lucy felt like she couldn't move until she felt a large warm hand touch her shoulder gently. "Come on Tiny, let's go into the other room and wait," Orga said gently.

The blonde just weakly nodded her head and allowed Orga to lead the way into the room that divided their bedrooms. Lucy noticed that Orga took a seat on the couch that faced the fireplace in the room and without giving too much thought on their awkwardness earlier; Lucy went and sat down right next to the large Lightning God Slayer. She didn't care anymore if he was still mad at her, she felt like she needed to know he was there with her. She needed his strength to keep her grounded as her head spun.

The two sat in silence for a few minutes until Mr. Yamagata came in with a tea tray. The tiny man poured some hot tea for his friends and handed them each a cup before he took a seat in the high back chair next to the couch.

Mr. Yamagata took a sip of his tea and said, "Lucy my dear, I am sorry if what I said caught you off guard. I realized as I prepared the tea that maybe your mother never got the chance to tell you about me and for that I am truly sorry. Your mother was an extraordinary young lady and you are so much like her that it warmed my heart greatly."

Lucy just stared down at her tea cup and asked quietly, "How do you know my Mama?"

Mr. Yamagata smiled weakly and said, "I can explain all of it to you later, but perhaps it would be best if I tell you exactly why I called you both here then you will know how I know your mother."

Both Lucy and Orga looked at Mr. Yamagata as he took a sip of tea then said, "Several hundred years ago a dark wizard, or perhaps not, cast a spell on this mountain. Samui Yama is known for its dangers, but the real reason many people do not come here is because usually once you enter the mountain you never return."

Lucy felt like her blood ran cold and the hairs on her arms rose again. Mr. Yamagata noticed that what he said had an effect on Lucy and he said, "The moment you two entered my courtyard you should have felt an odd magical presence that affected the area. Lucy should have felt it more so than Orga, but Orga even you should have felt something odd about the place."

The two mages looked at the man and both nodded that they understood. Mr. Yamagata then continued, "The reason why I know Layla is because she came here as a young girl to help me with a problem. I am a researcher and I search for all sorts of oddities and rare magical occurrences all over Fiore and in other distant lands; including Edolas and the Fairy Sphere that had you and your friends encased for seven years. My research has led me to Samui Yama because there is a force that is awakened here every 700 years and in three weeks' time that force will reawaken and if it is not stopped, all Fiore will be in danger."

Lucy nearly dropped her tea cup at the gravity of Mr. Yamagata's words. She quickly placed her cup on the coffee table in front of her and asked, "Mr. Yamagata what do you mean all Fiore will be in danger? What force are you talking about?"

Mr. Yamagata looked at Lucy in the eyes and said, "My research and your mother's has lead me to believe that this force is the work of a corrupt Celestial type of magic that only the strongest living Celestial Mage can stop."

The room was filled with silence for several minutes. Both Orga and Mr. Yamagata waited for the small blonde girl to say something, but she continued to sit there with her big brown eyes full of worry. Mr. Yamagata finally added, "The reason why I have called Orga here was to help you in this task, for you see I do not believe that only Celestial Magic is at work, but a God's magic or God Slayer's magic is at work."

Orga and Lucy both turned to Mr. Yamagata as Lucy finally snapped out of her thoughts and asked, "A God's magic? How do you know?"

Mr. Yamagata sat his tea cup down and replied, "Let me explain first some of my research and why I need both of your abilities. Earlier when I said that once someone enters the mountain and that they very rarely return is because the longer I have lived up here, the less and less people can come; especially now as it gets closer to the unleashing. Also the moment you stepped foot on the mountain, you became sort of cut off so to speak from the rest of Fiore and most likely your Celestial Spirit's did too from their own world."

Lucy grew worried when Mr. Yamagata said that. It meant that she had no way to contact her team if she was in trouble and she also felt bad for her Celestial friends. But before Lucy could voice he concern, Mr. Yamagata continued, "As you are aware, when I sent the mission request I specifically said that no one on your team, Lucy, would be allowed to accompany you. That is for two reasons. The first is because if any of them would have come with you they would have gone insane and turned on you. The second is because if they would have somehow managed to get here with you, they would have only got in your way. The fact that you and Orga both made it here with little to no harm only proves one of my theories."

"Wait, what do you mean one of your theories? Did you not know we would be safe?" Lucy nearly yelled at Mr. Yamagata. Did this little man really risk their lives so carelessly?

"Yes and no. My theory is that this is occurrence is the work of Celestial and God Magic. I had no doubt that you would make it here safely, but then I had no evidence, other than when Layla came here all those years ago, to prove that. But now I do because you are here safe and sound," Mr. Yamagata said with a smile.

Lucy saw that Orga scowled at the tiny man and Lucy did too. How dare he not inform them of the dangers before they arrived! What if something worse would have happened to them? Then Lucy thought about something Mr. Yamagata said about her team and asked, "When you said that my team would have gone insane, what did you mean by that?"

"That has to do with the nature of the magic itself. You see your late mother and I believed we had narrowed down at least one of the Celestial forces involved in this phenomenon. You see my young friends if anyone besides you two were to enter the mountain the magic here would have corrupted their minds—especially the males," Mr. Yamagta said as he munched on a cookie that he brought out with the tea before he added, "I believe that one of the magic forces involved is from one of the silver key's Andromeda."

Lucy gasped, the legend of Andromeda was well renowned and many Celestial Mages had given their lives to try and find the key to Andromeda. The blonde mage quickly said, "Are you sure it is  _her_  key?"

"Well I cannot be for certain my young friend since the phenomenon only occurs every 700 years, but I believe so. If my calculations are correct, this magic that is holding Andromeda's key captive will be released upon Fiore this year and her influence will spread throughout the land corrupting the minds of every mage in Fiore. However, there could be more than one key at work here. If that much power were to be released, the magical community would turn on each other like rabid animals. Now do you see why no male besides Orga would have been safe here? Even I am trapped inside my castle. If I were to step outside of the magical barrier, my mind would too be lost," Mr. Yamagta said as he brushed some cookie crumbs out of his beard.

Mr. Yamagata watched as Lucy began to piece together bits of information that he had revealed before he turned his attention to Orga and said, "My young God Slayer you are very vital to this mission for several reasons, but you should know that if my research is correct and if Andromeda's key is the cause of this then you should be warned that I believe it was a God Slayer, one with magic similar to your own, who locked her in this cursed state. For tomorrow night you will start to see the effects of that magic at hand. A lightning storm in snow is a terrifying sight to behold, even if the lightning were regular lightning; however, this lighting is different. It causes you to see things and hear things. It is literally a nightmare. Something else that you should be warned about is that Andromeda was known throughout many lands to be an exceptional beauty. When I spoke earlier that the male's minds were more easily to be corrupted it is because my research has shown me that when women enter the mountain they are usually killed swiftly; however the males fall under a spell so to speak. Why do you think there were so many Vulcans on your way up? Also according to legend, Andromeda's key is one of the strongest keys a Celestial Mage can obtain; for Andromeda can make even the greatest hero succumb to her needs. Legends have it that one of the greatest warriors of all times fought off a beast created by a god just to save her."

Lucy looked at Orga who appeared to be in deep thought as he stared into the fire. Lucy then turned to Mr. Yamagata and asked, "So what you are saying is that if someone other than Orga would have come with me, even one with similar powers like another God Slayer, then they would have turned on me to stop me from reaching my destination? I was able to come here because of my Celestial magic. So does it mean that because Orga has God Slaying magic and lightning magic he is almost above the influence like me?"

"Precisely Lucy, you are your mother's daughter that is for sure! Yes you were able to come here because of your Celestial magic, but you did face many trials on your way here did you not? This magic is fighting against you Lucy; it does not want you here. Also, yes I am very well aware that there is at least one other living God Slayer but her magic would have been of no use to you, plus she is not strong enough. I believe that the other God Slayer, Zancrow, is dead but my research led me to believe that even if he were alive he would be an unstable match. There is also the other lightning mage from your own guild, but sadly the stronger the mage the more dangerous Andromeda's magic can sometimes be—again if it is her key. Orga in a sense is almost destined to be here with you and will be your protector so to speak; for his magic equals the lightning mage in your own guild but he will not be corrupted by the negative magic because of his God Slayer powers," Mr. Yamagata said as he grabbed another cookie.

Orga and Lucy both tensed up at how casually Mr. Yamagata spoke. Lucy felt like her face turned as red as Erza's hair at what the old man had said. The blonde began to get nervous at the weight of everything Mr. Yamagata has revealed. How was she supposed to stop this phenomenon from spreading? What if she wasn't strong enough?

Mr. Yamagata could almost see the doubt in the child of his late friend's eyes as he said solemnly, "Lucy I know that you tend to doubt yourself and you believe that your magical power to be weaker than most, but you have never been more wrong my young friend."

Lucy felt tears well up in her eyes as Mr. Yamagata continued, "You see you  _are_  the strongest Celestial Mage alive, but the truth is more profound than that—you are actually the strongest Celestial Mage in the past 700 years. The whole universe almost seems to know of the Great Lucy Heartfilia and her spirits who love her. Lucy your magic is capable of so many things and that is another reason why I have called Orga here. For the next few weeks every morning Orga will train you to increase your physical capability and your magical capability. In the afternoons you will study many of the celestial books that I have in the library."

"WHAT!?" Lucy yelled as she jumped up off the couch.

Orga continued to sit and stare at the fire without saying a word as Mr. Yamagata just laughed. Lucy continued to look back and forth between Orga and Mr. Yamagata, but then worry started to sink in again. She didn't want to let Orga down, or her guild, but what if he laughed at her again—what if he thought of her and her magic to be useless.

Lucy slowly lowered herself back down on to the couch and started to tremble at the fear of letting everyone she loved down and of letting everyone in Fiore down. However, Lucy was pulled from her thoughts when Mr. Yamagata added seriously, "Lucy I believe that if you wanted to, you would be able to match Zeref himself with your magic."

The blonde noticed that even Orga turned to look at Mr. Yamagata, but she was too afraid to look at the Sabertooth Mage's face. Lucy assumed that Orga wanted to laugh at how ridiculous Mr. Yamagata sounded; however, Mr. Yamagata just continued and said, "My young friend the stronger you get the stronger your spirits will get. Don't you see that with Gemini alone you have the ability to copy any living person if your magic is at least equal or greater than theirs?! When you get stronger you will be able to copy Dragon Slayers, God Slayers, and you could even copy your own master. You have the potential to be able to simultaneously cast Fairy Law and Urano Metria! You have the leader of the Zodiac and the Celestial Spirit King on your side. You can have multiple unison raids and even triple unison raids with your spirits alone. That takes other mage's years and sometimes lifetimes to master. Your magic is versatile and nearly limitless! Haven't you ever wondered why odd occurrences seem to happen around you? You and your magic are unique and rare. You hold the power of the stars in your hands my dear Lucy! You have a rare fate that not many are destined to walk."

Lucy felt as though the weight of Fiore now rested entirely on her shoulders. She felt like everything Mr. Yamagata had said was completely absurd. She was the weakest on her team—well if you minus Happy. How was she supposed to do all of these things, even with Orga's help? She just couldn't do it, it was too much.

Finally Mr. Yamagata stood up and walked over to a small stand at the end of the room. He handed a stack of papers to Lucy and said solemnly, "Lucy these letters were written by your mother. I think you should read them during your stay here. You should also know that the room you are staying in was the same room that she stayed in when she came here all of those years ago. I know that she believed in you and so do I. You are not as alone as you might feel right now. We have discussed quite a bit tonight, but I am afraid we have only scratched the surface."

The little man then turned to pick up the tea set and said, "Would you look at the time! I haven't stayed up this late in many years. You two should get some rest and I will come meet you tomorrow afternoon to show you to the library where we will continue my research. Sleep well my young friends!" Then with a smile and funny bow Mr. Yamagata left the room.

Lucy just sat and stared at the stack of letters that Mr. Yamagata handed her as she listened to the fireplace crackle. She didn't know how to take in everything that she just heard. She felt utterly terrified.

Finally the silence was broken by Orga who asked gently, "Tiny are you ok?"

No longer being able to stay where she was, Lucy burst out into tears and ran towards her room and slammed the door behind her.

 


	18. Chapter 18

A worried Orga watched as Lucy ran out of the room and slammed the door behind her. The Sabertooth Mage heard her crying and was about to run after the blonde girl when the tiny figure of Mr. Yamagata suddenly appeared in front of him.

"Mr. Nanagear, although I admire your actions to help the lovely Lucy, I believe that one of her Celestial Spirits must speak with her right now," Mr. Yamagata said seriously.

Orga scowled at the tiny man who blocked his path but then used his God Slayer senses to listen in towards his partner's room. He could hear a deep male voice that called his partner Lucy-sama. Orga realized that Lucy was ok for the moment, but he didn't like how upset she was. He understood at why she would be upset, but he wanted to let her know that she didn't have to go through this alone.

"Ahhhhh…your God Slayer magic is absolutely fascinating Orga of Sabertooth. Lucy will be very lucky to have you with her," Mr. Yamagata said with a smile and then motioned for Orga to follow him down the hallway, "Our Lucy will be fine for now. Please let me show you where you will train her for the next few weeks."

Orga looked towards his tiny partner's bedroom door and scowled. He could still sense that she was upset and scared. The green haired mage didn't like the idea of leaving her in such a state, but with her spirit with her she would be fine for the moment. However, Orga was prepared to flash back to her side at any moment just in case she needed him. He hated how he had left things off with her earlier this evening and wanted to make it right somehow.

The Sabertooth mage looked at the smiling old man and nodded his head for him to proceed. As the two walked down the hallway, Mr. Yamagata continued, "Now Mr. Orga our objective for the next few weeks is quite simple. Every morning you will push our Lucy to get stronger both magically and physically. I am already aware that you are somewhat familiar with Celestial Spirit Magic since your own guild has a Celestial Mage; however, the difference between Ms. Yukino Aguria and our Lucy is quite vast."

Orga listened intently to Mr. Yamagata, because he knew that despite what happened to Yukino during the Grand Magic Games—Yukino was a very powerful mage. To hear Mr. Yamagata say that Yukino couldn't even compare to Tiny hurt Orga's pride a little as a Sabertooth Mage; however, he felt his chest swell slightly that his new partner and friend was so strong and that he would be amongst the first to witness her at full strength.

Mr. Yamagata stopped in front of two large double doors down the hallway and then said, "This is the room that you will train Lucy in every day." The tiny man then opened the doors and Orga was actually astounded at the size of the room.

Inside of the room was a full-fledged gym; complete with weights, mats, and ropes. The room was so large that an entire track ran around perimeter of the room. Mr. Yamagata quickly ran inside and pointed to a large set of glass doors on the other side of the room and said, "Over on that side is a large swimming pool that can also be used for training. Lucy has Aquarius's key so that would be an excellent training area if Aquarius will allow it."

The Sabertooth Mage didn't know what that was supposed to mean, but he knew that he had not met Aquarius yet. Why would a Celestial Spirit not want to help their master train?

Mr. Yamagata then said, "So my young friend, this room should be perfect for training. I have actually designed the room so that you can use your lightning in here without causing too much damage."

Mr. Yamagata then had a training dummy appear in the middle of the room and begged the Sabertooth Mage to use his Black Lightning. Orga sent a quick and minimal bolt at the dummy which disappeared after he had destroyed it and was then replaced a few moments later by a new training dummy. There were also no scorch marks left on the floor from where Orga's lightning hit. Orga looked around the room and was impressed. He often had to train outside of his guild because his magic was so destructive that he would often break the equipment that was provided for him. Plus, he hated training around anyone and had never trained with anyone before. Teaching Tiny how to get stronger would be a new learning experience for both of them.

"Now Orga there is something else that I require of you while you train Lucy," Mr. Yamagata said as he inspected the area where Orga had sent his lightning, "Lucy is now able to summon two Golden Gate Keys out simultaneously. Your goal as her trainer will be to get her strong enough to summon out five Golden Gate Keys simultaneously, plus she needs to be able to cast Urano Metria alone without Gemini's aid."

Orga kept his emotionless facial expression, but on the inside he was completely stunned by the old man's declaration. He knew from the Games that Yukino and Lucy both being able to summon two spirits was considered a rare thing. Now he was supposed to help her summon five at the same time and only have three weeks to get her there!

The Sabertooth Mage looked at the smiling man and said dryly, "And how do you expect me to do that exactly?"

"Well how you train our dear Lucy is entirely up to you; however, the stronger a Celestial Mage is magically and physically the more spirits he or she will be able to summon. Also, she will be able to keep the gates open longer the stronger that she gets," Mr. Yamagata said as he magically pulled out the training dummy that Orga had obliterated to examine it.

Orga began to run different scenarios in his head on techniques that Tiny could try to get stronger. He could have her run every morning to build up endurance and then add weight packs to her for strength. Based on the kicks that she continually tried to give him, he had no doubt that she would learn well from hand to hand combat training.

However, the green haired man's thoughts were interrupted when Mr. Yamagata said with an amused voice, "Now Mr. Orga—I know that you are very fond of our lovely Lucy but I have no doubt that you will push her as hard as you can so that she can get stronger."

"What do you mean by that?" Orga nearly growled at the old man.

Mr. Yamagata only chuckled at the Sabertooth Mage's actions and replied, "Well I believe you met my brother in Oshibana did you not?"

Orga eyed the pleased little man suspiciously and nodded his head in agreement. Mr. Yamagata saw Orga's nod and continued, "Well I won't tell you how I know that you and Lucy visited him, because that is my secret for right now. Also, I don't know if my brother got the chance to tell you, but he is not only a physician. He is actually a rather rare Matchmaker Mage."

The Sabertooth Mage tensed up at Mr. Yamagata's declaration. Orga then heard Mr. Yamagata mutter a few enchantment words and then the training dummy that the Sabertooth Mage had destroyed began to glow slightly. The tiny man continued to study the destroyed training dummy but added, "My brother went to this year's Grand Magic Games and he was ecstatic on the first day when both you and Lucy battled your opponents. My brother told me that he had never seen such strong ties before."

"What do you mean ties?" Orga asked now slightly interested.

"Hmmm…well my brother could probably explain it better but I will give it a try," the tiny old man paused for a moment before he continued, "You see there are many magical elements that surround all of us mages that we cannot see with our own eyes. My brother has the ability to see certain fates, or ties, when two mages have a strong connection to each other—even before that connection starts to develop or  _if_  it ever develops. Apparently you and Lucy have a strong tie to each other. My brother said when he saw both of you in the arena together that he could hardly concentrate because of the large, and I believe he said it was golden, tie that continually linked you two together."

Orga scowled at what Mr. Yamagata had said. During the Games, Orga had acted like an asshole towards the blonde mage and her team. How could he have had a tie to Tiny that early? He had never even spoken to her before this mission.

Mr. Yamagata finally finished inspecting the destroyed training dummy and then once again it disappeared. The little old man turned to the large God Slayer and added, "But that is not all my young friend. My brother did not only notice the connection you had with Lucy but a few others that she had ties with as well."

The Lightning Mage stiffened at the old man's honesty. Orga already had at least one strong suspicion of who the other connection was with. Then to reaffirm Orga's own thoughts, Mr. Yamagata said, "Yes apparently Lucy has an almost equally strong tie with the Lightning Mage in her own guild, but I have a feeling that you are already aware of that. The other two more faint ties were her teammates, but I believe my brother said that could be the result of their friendship."

The scowl on Orga's face was apparent. He had no idea how to interpret the information that had been given to him. He was aware that Dreyar had feelings for Tiny, he was even aware that Tiny reciprocated some of those feelings. This morning seemed like forever ago. He had felt the most comfortable he had ever felt in his entire life, but then she had to say Dreyar's name. Orga rarely experienced jealousy, because people were usually jealous of him. But still, he had felt it today. He couldn't help but wonder how things could have turned out so differently today if Tiny wouldn't have said Dreyar's name.

Mr. Yamagata watched Orga's reactions intently before he added, "My young friend, do not trouble yourself too much. I am observant enough to know that something happened between you and Lucy today before you arrived. The good news is you have over three weeks to work out whatever is troubling you two. Plus from what I saw tonight, when I explained the mission, you and Lucy already make a great team."

Orga even surprised himself when he looked at Mr. Yamagata and admitted, "But I don't know how to make it better and I don't know what will happen after this mission is over with."

"Well the first part is sometimes the easiest and most difficult thing to do—just be honest with her," Mr. Yamagata said with a smile, but then his face grew serious as he continued, "The other part of your inquiry is a little more open ended. Three weeks is no small amount of time to be alone together. I think that the bond you two will create here will be nearly unbreakable; however, that does not mean you will not face opposition when you return to your respective guilds. Laxus Dreyar is a strong man. He will not give up easily if he ever figures out what he wants; however, Laxus cannot be here with Lucy now. Although his lightning magic would be equally useful, he would not have the same divine protection that you and Lucy have with your God Slayer and her Celestial magic."

The Sabertooth Mage stood in silence as he analyzed everything that Mr. Yamagata had just said. The tiny old man went and stood next to the green haired mage and said seriously, "Orga there is something else that you should know. Even if Laxus could be here now, I do not believe that it would be the best choice for Lucy in her given state. You see if the mountain wasn't under this curse and her team or Laxus could travel with her, do you think that they would be able to train her to face this kind of danger alone?"

"Alone?" Orga asked as he nearly growled. He thought he was supposed to help Tiny. Why the hell would he let her face this kind of danger alone?

Mr. Yamagata gave Orga a weak smile and replied, "Yes Orga alone. At least from what I can calculate, the final outcome of this occurrence will ultimately rest on Lucy's shoulders; however, that does not mean that you will not be there with her. You need to make sure that she stays safe and grows in her magic until the time is right. Now your reaction, just after spending a few days with Lucy is quite interesting. Can you imagine how her teammates would react or other members from her guild? Do you think that they would let Lucy walk into some of the greatest danger she has ever faced alone?"

Orga furrowed his eyebrows together and said, "And what makes you think I would let her go alone?"

"I have no doubt that you too will try and be by her side; however, I think now that you know part of the danger that she will face you will be able to train Lucy and push her harder than her own team would. Fairy Tail mages are stubborn and believe in nakama above all. Yes they would try to help Lucy get stronger and would probably do a good job, but they would also try to carry the burden themselves or shield her as much as possible. They would ultimately get in her way, because if anyone from her guild were to come here then they would meet their deaths and this would destroy Lucy. Celestial Magic is the only magic that can stop what is happening—not Dragon Slayer, Ice-Make, or Requip Magic. Your magic can help aid her unlike any other magic, but this time Lucy's team cannot rescue her. She has to rescue them," Mr. Yamagata said seriously before he concluded with, "Right now my young friend, you are Lucy's only hope for survival."

As Orga heard what Mr. Yamagata had just said, a new sense of responsibility filled the Sabertooth Mage. He would make sure to train Lucy to the best of his abilities. He would help make her the strongest mage in all of Fiore. He had just become friends with the sweet, blonde Fairy Tail mage. The truth was that this girl meant more to him than just a friend and he wasn't about to lose her now—not when he had just found her. Orga looked at Mr. Yamagata and said seriously, "I understand."

A large grin spread across Mr. Yamagata's face as he replied, "I knew you would my young friend. Now I will leave you be for the night and I will meet you two in the kitchen tomorrow after you eat lunch so that I may show Lucy were she will study Celestial Magic. However, tomorrow night you and I should have another small discussion because we will begin to see the effects of the foul magic at hand and you will need to stay vigilant in order to keep Lucy safe."

Orga just nodded his head as Mr. Yamagata left him standing alone in the training room. He couldn't seem to slow down his thoughts. He harrumphed when he realized that this feeling was probably similar to how Tiny had felt earlier. He had just been given a ton of information to process and the one piece of information that continued to linger in Orga's mind was when he found out that he and Tiny were "tied" together.

The Sabertooth mage's face turned into a scowl though when he thought about how Dreyar was also "tied" to Tiny. Orga wasn't as concerned about his new partner's usual teammates, because the whole time he had been with her she had not attempted to contact them plus she said that she wasn't with Natsu on their first night. It was Laxus Dreyar that concerned the God Slayer.

However, a small smile appeared on Orga's face. He smirked to himself as he thought about how ticked off Dreyar would have been if he would have heard that because he wasn't a God Slayer then he would have been corrupted by the magic on the mountain—whereas Orga was immune to it.

Orga vowed to himself that he would be there to help Tiny in any way that he could. With that thought in mind, the large God Slayer decided that it would be best to check on his partner to see if she was doing ok.

As Orga made his way back to their rooms, he used his God like senses to see if the Fairy Tail mage was upset. A small smile crept up on his face as he stood outside Tiny's bedroom door, because he sensed that she had indeed calmed down and was already asleep.

The Sabertooth Mage quietly said, "Goodnight Lucy. I will not let you go through this alone," before he went into his own room and shut the door behind him.

* * *

Lucy ran into her room and slammed the door behind her. The blonde grabbed her chest as she slid down onto the floor in an attempt to breathe normally. Her chest was tight and felt like there was a heavy weight pressing down against her rib cage over her heart.

The Celestial Mage looked down at the stack of letters in her hand and let out wail as she tucked her knees up towards her face. How could any of this be happening? Why had she not known before now that her mother had been here before? Why did Mr. Yamagata think that she was strong enough to do this?

Lucy was dry heaving where she sat, because her nerves were beyond shot. Earlier when Mr. Yamagata said that Orga would need to train Lucy she wanted to panic. She and Orga were barely on speaking terms now! What would make Mr. Yamagata think that Orga would be willing to train her for the next three weeks!?

The Fairy Tail mage continued to sob as she thought about her situation and about Orga. She felt so alone and the fact that she could not call her team made her feel worse. She felt so alone and partially betrayed—but most of all she felt terrified. She could only open two gate keys simultaneously now because she was able to activate her second origin. How was she supposed to take on this force by herself?

Lucy wanted to laugh at how absurd Mr. Yamagata had sounded. There was no way that she was the strongest Celestial Mage in the past 700 years. Angel and Yukino were both incredibly strong—Lucy only beat Angel because of Hibiki. But most of all there was no way that she was stronger than her Mama. The whole reason why Lucy even wanted to be a Celestial Mage was because of how much she looked up to her Mama. She could never be as strong as her.

The blonde placed her head on her knees and continued to sob when she heard one of her spirits pass through their gate. Without even looking up Lucy sobbed out, "Please go away Loke. I am not in the mood to speak to anyone right now."

However it was not Loke that stood before the Fairy Tail Mage. As Lucy continued to cry, she heard the deep voice of Capricorn say, "Lucy-sama I am sorry but I must speak with you. I know that Leo-sama was going to speak with you, but I asked if I could come in his stead."

"Ca-Capricorn! What are you doing here?" Lucy asked slightly shocked as she tried to wipe away her tears.

"Forgive me Lucy-sama, but it is in regards to your late mother—Layla," Capricorn said in a serious and solemn tone.

Lucy felt like her heart stopped when she saw the serious expression on Capricorn's face; well more serious than normal for Capricorn. Lucy just nodded her head at her spirit friend but continued to stay seated on the floor.

Capricorn just nodded at his young master solemnly and said, "There is something you should know about this place and about Mr. Yamagata. Everything he has said has been true. Your mother came here before she met your father at the Love and Lucky Merchant Guild. She came here to train and to study about Celestial Magic. Your mother was very fond of Mr. Yamagata because of his kindness and knowledge of Celestial Magic because like you both, he believes Celestial Spirits to have feelings and does not treat them like objects but like friends. She studied under him in an attempt to discover the rare magical occurrences that affected Samui Yama. The two exchanged many letters over the years up until your mother's passing."

Lucy looked up at Capricorn who appeared to be in pain. The blonde began to feel guilty for her actions. She never even thought about how this situation might be hard on Capricorn who had been very close to her Mama—let alone Aquarius and Cancer.

Capricorn continued and said, "Lucy-sama you should know that your mother loved you very much, but you should also know that before your mother passed away she planned to return here this year with you to help Mr. Yamagata."

The Fairy Tail mage gasped at Capricorn's declaration before she asked, "What do you mean she planned to come here with me?"

"Your mother taught you to love Celestial Spirits at an early age. However, when you were a child she did not know yet if you planned to walk the path of magic or not, but she knew that you would inherit the same Celestial Magic that she possessed. She promised Mr. Yamagata that she would help him free the spirit and that her daughter would be able to help, but now she cannot fulfill part of that promise," Capricorn admitted gravely.

"Why did you not tell me sooner?" Lucy asked in barely a whisper.

Capricorn looked down at his master with sadness and replied, "Lucy-sama, I did not like keeping this information from you; however, your mother asked that I not speak of it unless Mr. Yamagata asked that you come here. Your mother mentioned how if anyone were to find out about how this occurrence could possibly be Andromeda's key then many dark mages would have attempted to obtain the key or at try a similar spell with other Celestial Keys. Your mother was trying to protect the Celestial Spirit Realm by keeping it a secret. Even when Zoldeo took over my body, I was able to keep this information hidden from him."

Lucy remained seated on the floor and attempted to process all of this information. She felt exhausted from climbing the mountain all day and with everyone bombarding her with information.

The goat spirit watched his young friend and could sense the fear and anxiety that she was feeling. "Lucy-sama, I would like to add that you are not alone in this fight. Your spirits will help you train and we will stand alongside you when the day comes. I promised your mother to serve and protect you and I will see that promise through," Capricorn said seriously with a bow to his master.

Tears streamed down Lucy's face because of Capricorn's words. Lucy had faith in her friends and even in Orga, but that wasn't the issue. Her big worried brown orbs met Capricorn's solemn face and she admitted, "I am very thankful for all your help Capricorn and I know that you and the rest of our friends will help me, but what if the problem is me? What if I am not strong enough to do this?"

Then Lucy thought about how Capricorn had mentioned that her Mama had planned to return here with her to help. The Celestial Mage had idolized her Mama in more ways than one. The thought of disappointing her late parent was almost too much for her. Lucy continued to sob as she added, "Capricorn what if I disappoint  _her_?"

"Lucy-sama, you could never disappoint your mother. She loved you more than anything," Capricorn said as he looked at the young mage who reminded him so much of her mother. The goat spirit added, "I think it would be best for you to read the letters that Mr. Yamagata gave you. I believe that you will find the answers to the questions that you seek in there. We believe you are strong enough and we have faith in you."

Lucy looked back up at Capricorn and nodded her head. "Thank you Capricorn," the blonde said quietly. Even if her friends believed in her, she wasn't convinced that she should believe in herself.

"Of course Lucy-sama, now please get some rest so that you may have a fresh start for your training tomorrow. Also, please let us know if you need anything. We are here for you," Capricorn said with a bow before he disappeared back into the Celestial Realm.

The blonde sat on the floor for a few more minutes before she finally decided to get up and change into her pajamas. Lucy gave a halfhearted smile when she saw that Virgo had already laid out some clothes for her. She quickly changed into her pink pajamas that the maid spirit had left for her and felt somewhat better knowing that her spirits were here for her and cared for her so much, but she still had doubts.

As Lucy slipped under the covers she felt a wave of fatigue hit her, but she was determined to read one letter. Lucy sat the stack of letters next to her nightstand and pulled off the top letter. The stack appeared to be a mixture of letters to Mr. Yamagata and her Mama's personal journal. Her bloodshot eyes widened as she saw the first entry to her Mama's journal before her:

_Dear Layla or Me:_

_Well here I am on my first day at Mr. Yamagata's castle on top of Samui Yama. I am so excited to begin my training here and I look forward to studying all about Celestial Magic._

_Mr. Yamagata is really wonderful and has already given me a tour of the castle. There are so many historical items stored in this place that I could get lost for days. Capricorn promised me that if my training and studying went well in the mornings then he would let me spend my afternoons exploring the castle more. Capricorn is so serious all of the time and I swear all he thinks about is training, but he is a really great friend._

_The room Mr. Yamagata is letting me stay in was designed for a princess I think. The bed is divine and the bathroom is absolutely stunning. I feel like royalty here! Who knows, maybe someday I will live in a big and beautiful house with my family and Celestial friends. That would be really delightful._

_Sorry I cannot write long today, I need to hurry because after I am done writing this I plan on grabbing as many books as I can and making my way into the bathtub. I plan on soaking in that beautiful bathtub for hours while enjoying a romantic fairy tale._

_Well I will see you tomorrow! Wish me luck in my training!_

_Love,_

_Me_

_P.S. I am really excited because tomorrow I am going to start training with Aquarius. Mr. Yamagata said that he has a swimming pool and I can't wait to see what Aquarius can do!_

As Lucy read the letter, she couldn't help but cry more. When she was younger, her dad had locked away so many of her Mama's memories that Lucy rarely saw anything that belonged to her Mama.

The blonde clutched the letter closer to her chest. Lucy felt so tired and so scared. As she wiped away some of her tears, she barely whispered out, "Mama I don't know if you can hear me but I really need your help. I will start my training tomorrow too—just like you did, so please help me," Lucy gulped as tears streamed down her face and she cried out, "I can't do this alone."

Lucy held onto the letter so that she would not feel so alone. She didn't want to let anyone down. She didn't want to let Mr. Yamagta down, her guild down, her spirits down, Orga down, but most of all she didn't want to let her Mama down.

After a few moments, the Fairy Tail mage drifted off to sleep and hoped that her prayer had somehow reached her Mama.


	19. Chapter 19

Lucy awoke the next morning and blinked a few times before she remembered her surroundings. The blonde let out a labored sigh as she gently touched her cheeks. Her face felt warm and sore from crying herself to sleep the night before. She carefully reached over and touched Horologium's key to see that it was right after 7:00 a.m.

As Lucy set up in her bed, everything that happened the night before came rushing back to her. She felt bad for how she left everything off with Orga and wasn't sure on how to fix it. The blonde felt sick to her stomach just thinking about facing the large Sabertooth Mage. She had no idea what he had in store for her or if he would even agree to train her, but most of all what he thought about her declaration that she cared for him and considered him as a friend.

Before Lucy's thoughts could sink any lower, a flash of light filled Lucy's room and at the foot of her bed stood Virgo. The loyal Maid Spirit looked at the swollen and tired face of her Master and said, "Good morning Hime-sama, as of today we begin your special training. Brother and Capricorn said that every morning you should keep open a golden gate key as long as possible while you are training. Then while you are studying in the afternoon you should keep open at least one silver key. In the evenings you should rest and recuperate before the next day's training. They said that this will help your magical endurance. Punishment Hime-sama?"

Lucy took in the information and wanted to moan at how fast everything was happening. However, Lucy was slightly thankful that Loke and Capricorn had already begun to think of ways to help her. Honestly with everything that happened last night Lucy hadn't even thought about how exactly she would go about getting stronger. She had convinced herself that it was probably impossible, but the fact that her friends were already helping her with the task that was given to her restored her faith somewhat.

The blonde looked at her smiling friend and said seriously, "No punishment Virgo. Also, thank you for coming and thank you for laying out some clothes for me last night; I really do appreciate everything you do for me."

Virgo just smiled wider at her master and said, "Of course Hime-sama, and today I will be the spirit that helps you train. You should also know that we have all decided that for the next three weeks, you can call any of us out at any time. Please do not worry about our contracts right now."

Lucy gaped at what Virgo had said. Why would her spirits do that? The contracts between Celestial Mages and Celestial Spirits were an important element of trust. Lucy looked at Virgo stubbornly and said, "Virgo I can't let you guys do that. You have your own lives and I do not want to interrupt that—you are my friends."

"We are actually cut off from the rest of the Celestial Spirit World right now so it is not a problem," Virgo stated as she began to prepare Lucy's clothes for the day.

Lucy felt guilty and remembered that Mr. Yamagata had said something about that last night. She hated the thought that her mission was interfering with her friend's lives. Lucy looked at Virgo seriously and said, "Well even if that is true Virgo, I still don't feel right for abusing your contracts like that."

"We are not upset that we are cut off right now. This mission is really important and we understand that. Also, Brother said that you would say something like that. He said that you should not feel guilty and that if you refuse our offer then you have to go on a date with him," Virgo said with a gleam in her eyes.

Lucy flinched back on her bed and asked, "What kind of twisted ultimatum is that?"

Virgo just gave Lucy a mischievous smile that made Lucy gulp. The blonde decided that there would be no point in arguing with her friends and just let the matter go for now—it was too early to argue with the mischievous Virgo anyways.

Virgo watched as Lucy raised her arms above her head and stretched. Since time flowed differently in the Celestial Realm, Lucy's spirits had already devised an elaborate strategy on how to help their Master get stronger both magically and physically. Capricorn suggested that they allow the Sabertooth Mage to train her and help her, because he trusted the advisement of Mr. Yamagata. They decided that they would do whatever it took to make sure that their loving Master and friend would be successful. They wanted to see her smile again and allow her to see the strength within herself that they already saw in her.

Lucy finally crawled out of bed and said, "Virgo I am going to take quick shower and get ready before I find Orga."

"Of course Hime-sama, but when you are finished please head to the kitchen so that you can eat the powerful breakfast I am going to make you." Virgo said as she began to lay out the training clothes she had picked out for Lucy to wear.

"What do you mean powerful breakfast Virgo?" Lucy asked as she watched Virgo sat out a pair of black yoga shorts on her bed with a tight pink yoga tank top.

Virgo then placed a pair of black athletic shoes on the ground that had hot pink shoelaces and said, "Capricorn said that you needed to eat a lot more protein these next few weeks and cut back on your carbohydrate and sweets intake."

Lucy's eye twitched because this wasn't the first time Capricorn had tried to oversee her diet, but she sighed because now her loyal friend was getting the chance to do just that. Lucy snorted and replied as she walked into her bathroom, "Whatever Virgo, I will see you in a minute then."

After Lucy had finished showering and getting ready, she changed into the athletic outfit that Virgo had prepared for her. The blonde was thankful that at least the clothes she was wearing were comfortable and cute. She quickly tied her hair up into a messy bun and grabbed the black track jacket that Virgo had left her and then looked into the mirror to check her appearance. Lucy knew that she was being slightly vain but she thought she looked pretty cute in this outfit, minus the fact that her face was still puffy from crying all night.

The blonde sighed and decided that it was time to head to the kitchen to see what Virgo had made for her. As Lucy crossed the hall and stepped in front of the kitchen door she immediately froze in fear. What if Orga was already on the other side waiting for her? What was she going to do once she saw him again? Would he be upset that he had to train someone as weak as her? She felt her stomach do flips that filled her with such anxiety that she nearly threw up.

But Lucy's panicked thoughts were interrupted when she heard a deep calm voice behind her say, "What exactly are you doing Tiny?"

Lucy eeped at Orga's sudden appearance and grabbed her chest with her hand to stabilize her erratic heartbeats. "Orga don't sneak up on me like that!"

"I wasn't sneaking. I came out of my room at the same time you came out of yours. I only stopped because you are blocking the door to the kitchen. You should really be more aware of your surroundings, but don't worry we will fix that soon enough," Orga said in his monotone deep voice.

Lucy felt like a knife just went through her chest. She looked down at the ground and realized that she had already messed up and they hadn't even started training yet. She also felt upset because Laxus had said something very similar to her when he dropped her off at the train station; he told her that she should pay attention while she was around Orga. Now Lucy knew that she didn't need to worry about Orga, but she still felt like she had already disappointed and let down both men.

Orga watched as Lucy's emotions quickly went from bad to worse. He could tell by her eyes and face that she had probably cried herself to sleep. The Sabertooth mage felt guilty that he couldn't get to her last night before she fell asleep to make things right with her.

The Fairy Tail mage continued to look down at the ground and mumbled out, "I'm sorry I will get better Orga. I will try not to be a burden on you."

As Lucy attempted to open the door to the kitchen a large muscular arm blocked her line of sight. The blonde looked up to see Orga starring at her full of concern as he said lowly, "Tiny I think we should talk to each other before we start the day."

Lucy could hear her heart pound in her ears because she had already apologized. What more did he want from her? She looked away sadly and said, "Orga I already said that I was sorry. I am also sorry that you have to train me and be stuck here with me."

Before Lucy could protest or say anything else, Orga grabbed ahold of Lucy and threw her over his shoulder with her plump ass right next to his face as he teleported with her to the gym that Mr. Yamagata had shown him last night. The large God Slayer then dropped Lucy down onto the ground with a loud thud.

"OW WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT FOR ORGA!" Lucy yelled as she rubbed her backside from the impact that would likely leave a bruise.

The God Slayer met Lucy's angry graze and said firmly, "From now on every time you assume you know what I am thinking you will run one extra mile."

Lucy jumped to her feet and was about to yell in protest, but Orga put his finger to her mouth and leaned in close to her face before he said with a smirk, "Every morning this week you will begin your day by running five miles, next week it will be ten miles. Your will begin running in this room at 6 a.m. sharp. Today you get to start off by running six miles already, because every time that you talk back to me, assume to know my thoughts, or put yourself down you will run an additional mile."

The Fairy Tail mage could feel her face heat up in anger and because of how close she and Orga's faces were to each other. However, Orga paid little attention to this and asked, "Now are you ready to talk or would you like me to add more work to your already planned out training routine?"

Lucy thought about this for a minute because she wanted to say  _a lot_ , but the man in front of her looked stern and set in his ways. She had determined that he was dead serious about the threat he gave her. Lucy had no objection to working out but she really did hate running and found it pointless, but she sure as heck wasn't going to tell him that. She decided that for now it would be best to keep quiet so she just turned her head and huffed—and in the process mimicked a little white Exceed that she knows well.

Orga just sighed at the girl's actions. It was obvious that she was incredibly stubborn, but he couldn't help but be amused at the small victory he had over her. He was quite sure that the next three weeks would be entertaining and he expected her to put up quite the fight with a lot that he had planned. He was actually looking forward to his time training her. The thing Orga dreaded was telling Tiny how he felt. He never talked about his emotions or feelings to people, because frankly it was none of their damn business. He had no idea how the girl across from him would react to what he had to say.

Orga looked at the angry, beautiful blonde and said briskly, "Yesterday a lot of things happened and I never got the chance at the end of the day to talk to you. There were several instances of misunderstandings between us and I wanted to get those cleared up before we continue to work together."

Lucy looked at the man who had spoken to her and was caught off guard by Orga's sudden change in demeanor. The Sabertooth Mage was usually so calm and sometimes oddly playful, but this was different. Orga stood with his back facing her and his arms were crossed over his massive muscular chest. Lucy's anger quickly faded at the sight of him and her anger was replaced by guilt. She hated the way that they left things off yesterday and wanted things to be better between them.

The Sabertooth mage noticed that his partner's anger had died down, but he still kept his back to her. He had faced countless dangers in his lifetime so why did admitting what happened yesterday morning to this little blonde girl scare the shit out of him more than anything?

Finally after several minutes of silence, Orga clinched his fists and said solemnly, "Tiny last night after we arrived, and before we found out about what this mission entailed, you said that you didn't know what you did that made me upset and that you didn't mean to offend me. You also said that you cared about me and you didn't want to let whatever it was hurt our friendship."

Lucy remembered the conversation well. She felt so nervous about when she said that to him and then the rest of the night went downhill pretty fast. Lucy stood by Orga and shifted her feet slightly out of nervousness and said, "I remember," but then Lucy found the courage and asked, "Orga can I ask you a question without you adding another mile to my run?"

The corner of Orga's mouth went up slightly into a smirk as he replied, "Sure Tiny."

"Well I said that stuff last night because I thought that you were mad at how we were positioned that night in the cave. Um, is that why—because if it was then I am really sorry that we were u-um like that. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable," Lucy said as she started to tremble slightly. She bit her lip at the memory of resting in Orga's arms. She had felt so safe there and the thought that she had made him uncomfortable or grossed out by their position made her feel sick to her stomach.

Orga turned to look at the blonde who looked like she was about to puke. The Sabertooth Mage took a deep breath and said with a lowered voice, "Our position was not what made me uncomfortable."

Lucy felt her face heat up again by the drop in Orga's already deep voice. She had the urge to rub her hands down her arms because he had made every hair on her arms stand up. Lucy gulped and grew more nervous though, because now she had no idea why Orga had been so upset yesterday.

Orga took another deep breath and then said, "I was agitated yesterday, because when I awoke you were still in my arms—which again isn't the issue."

After Orga said that, there were several moments of silence that followed and Lucy wanted to scream because of the awkwardness that fell between the two. However, she finally mustered the courage to ask, "Well what was the issue?"

"You said Dreyar's name," Orga said bluntly and harshly.

Lucy blinked a few times in confusion and then snapped, "What?!"

Orga turned to look at the confused blonde girl and said now very annoyed, "When you were in my arms you said  _his_  name."

The blonde's face immediately blushed. She had no idea what he was talking about. She tried to remember if she had any dreams that night but couldn't remember anything. Lucy assumed that it was because she slept like a log. She honestly remembered nothing other than falling asleep in Orga's arms and then waking up the next morning to find out that he wasn't there beside her. She felt horrible and embarrassed, but also slightly pissed. How was she supposed to know what she was saying in her sleep? But even if she did remember, why would Orga be upset by that?

Before Lucy could respond Orga continued with, "I am not really sure what you have going on with Dreyar, but I didn't like the fact that you were in my arms and said his name. It did offend me."

The Fairy Tail mage flinched at the bluntness of Orga's words. Lucy felt horrible and didn't know what to say, but then Orga added, "I was pretty pissed off the whole day, but then you said that you cared for me and that you didn't want it to hurt our friendship. After you said that I found that I didn't care so much anymore, because the truth is I am the one who doesn't deserve your friendship."

Lucy gasped at Orga's confession. Her big chocolate eyes looked at the Lightning Mage with concern. Why would he say something like that? True at the Grand Magic Games, Orga had been a jerk but that was behind them now.

Lucy slowly walked over to stand next to Orga. She eyed him curiously, but the tall mage would not look at her. She could see an expression on his face that she couldn't read and it made her heart break to see him like this. Lucy gently placed her small hand on Orga's large muscular arm and said quietly, "Orga that isn't true."

Orga looked down at Lucy's hand on his arm and then looked into her big brown orbs. He wanted so badly to reach back out and hold her hand, but he resisted the urge and just said sternly, "It is though Tiny. I have done horrible things in my life and I do not deserve the kindness that you have shown to me."

The Sabertooth Mage was completely stunned with what he heard next as Lucy burst out into laughter. Orga looked at Lucy quizzically and tried to figure out if he had missed something, but then Lucy looked up at him with a huge smile and said, "Orga, everyone has made mistakes and I believe everyone deserves a second chance. I think if I followed what you believed to be true then I wouldn't be friends with Gajeel, Flare, Lyon, and many other people that I love now. After the games, Master Makarov said that your guild had turned over a new leaf and that everyone in your guild was trying really hard to make up for everything they had done the past few years. In this short time I have gotten to know you, while on this mission, I can see that what my Master has said to be true. You do not seem to be the same man that I saw at the Games. The man I am standing next to now is thoughtful, smart, funny—in your own awkward way, and an incredibly powerful mage. The man I am standing next to is my friend." Then Lucy gave Orga her dazzling Lucy smile.

Orga felt his chest tighten as he looked at the warm hearted blonde beside him. He truly did not believe that he would ever hear anyone speak of him this way and yet when the words came from her lips, he couldn't help but believe that what she had said was true. He could not sense lies coming off of his new partner—everything she had said she believed whole heartedly.

Lucy watched Orga's face and knew that he must still be processing everything that she had just admitted, but there was still something else that was eating away at her that she needed to ask. While still holding onto Orga's arm Lucy said nervously, "U-um Orga, there is one other thing that I want to talk about."

"Sure, what is it Tiny?" Orga asked. The God Slayer made no attempt to move his arm or move away. He liked that she felt close enough to him to touch him. Most people were scared shitless by him and wouldn't even go near him. Now here was this small, beautiful, and sweet girl holding onto his arm and not afraid to be by him.

Lucy let her eyes fall on her hand that held on to Orga and admitted, "Last night everything that Mr. Yamagata said hit me really hard. I had no idea that my Mama had been here. Part of me is still trying to process everything and I have to know…are you ok with training me?" Lucy could barely ask out the last part without her voice cracking.

Orga felt pain in his chest when he heard the sadness in his friend's voice, but then he broke out into a large grin which made Lucy flinch back slightly. The Sabertooth Mage leaned down in front of his partner's face and said, "I am more than ok with training you Tiny. I am going to make sure that by the time I am done with you that you will be able to defeat Titania herself."

Lucy's face paled at Orga's statement. She secretly wanted to cry again, but not because she felt alone anymore, but because she was afraid of what Orga would put her through these next three weeks.

When Orga watched the tiny blonde's reaction he couldn't help but feel somewhat pleased; however, to somewhat calm her nerves—Orga knew that there was one other thing that he should say before his new friend began her training; "Tiny last night I didn't like seeing you so upset."

The Fairy Tail mage was pulled out of her nightmarish daydream of fighting with Erza when she heard the seriousness in Orga's voice. Then Orga did something that was probably the scariest thing he had ever done in his entire life. The Sabertooth mage slowly lifted one of his hands and gently placed it over the tiny hand of his partner that still rested on his arm. He could sense her heartbeat pick up and watched as her face became flushed before he said, "Last night you seemed to think that you weren't strong enough to face this danger alone. I vow to you now that I will help you become stronger and I will protect you with my own life if necessary. I will not let you go through this alone and I will make sure that you can return to the guild that you love so much," Orga watched as tears began to stream down Lucy's face when he added, "But you should know, that I believe that you are strong enough and I can't wait to see you kick some ass."

Lucy stared into Orga's white eyes that always seemed to reflect a beautiful lightning storm. She knew that Orga could hear her heart beat erratically at what he had said, but she didn't care. Lucy broke eye contact as she looked down at the ground and blushed. Her delicate hand was still placed in Orga's large masculine one and neither made an attempt to move away.

She felt an overwhelming since of relief at what Orga had just confessed. Last night, Lucy had felt an overwhelming amount of pressure and for some reason having this large, incredibly powerful man stand next to her and swear that he would stand by her made her feel like she could actually attempt this. Lucy felt her faith in herself to be somewhat restored. She knew that Orga and her spirits would not let her down—they would stick by her and help train her. The blonde decided that it was time to show her friends that she would train hard and not let them down.

Lucy looked up at Orga with a determined expression as she smiled and said, "Thank you Orga. It means a lot to hear you say that. I know that this mission will be the hardest thing I have ever done and I still might doubt myself from time to time, but I promise to train as hard as I possibly can and I am glad that you are my friend."

"Of course we are friends," Orga said firmly, but then he leaned down next to Lucy's ear and added huskily, "Oh and I'm counting on you to train  _extra_  hard Tiny."

The Celestial Mage felt her entire body heat up by Orga's deep and almost sensual voice. Then Orga chuckled slightly as he leaned away and said sternly, "Well start running Tiny and don't even think about walking or stopping because I will know if you do." Then Orga removed his hand, much to the displeasure of both mages, and made his way to the door.

Lucy stood frozen for a moment and tried comprehend what Orga had just said. How dare he leave her all flustered and then expect her to run like this. Lucy then remembered that Virgo had prepared a meal for her and yelled toward the large Lightning Mage that continued to walk away from her, "But Orga, Virgo made me breakfast! Can't I eat first?! This isn't fair!"

"Make that seven miles Tiny. Remember? No talking back. I will make sure that your breakfast doesn't go to waste. Now get moving," Orga said as he walked out the door.

As Orga walked out of the training room doors, a large grin spread across his face because he could still hear the blonde cursing him under her breath; however, she did start running which Orga found amusing.

The Sabertooth Mage made his way back to the kitchen and could smell the food that Virgo had prepared. He walked in to see Virgo waiting on him with a mischievous smile on her face. The Maid Spirit then handed him a large plate full of delicious eggs, vegetables, and sausage.

"Thank you Virgo," Orga said as he gratefully accepted the plate full of food from the Maid Spirit before he asked, "So is she still using her own powers to keep you here?"

"Yes Orga-sama. Even though I passed through the gate on my own at first this morning, Hime-sama has continued to use her own powers to keep me here. I can sense that she is running and doing fine for the moment, even if she is angry at you," Virgo said with a sly smile.

"That is ok. She can stay mad at me. Sometimes mages become more powerful the more emotional they get—kind of like her friend Salamander," Orga said calmly as he began to eat the delicious breakfast.

Late last night, much to Orga's displeasure, Loke came to Orga's room to discuss the events that Mr. Yamagata dropped on all of them. The Zodiac Leader said that they would assist Orga in whatever way they could to help train their Master. It was apparent to Orga that Loke was not thrilled about the idea of him helping his beautiful Mater, but then Loke said that he would listen to Capricorn's judgment on this matter. The two briefly discussed ways to help Lucy get stronger both magically and physically and had carefully planned out this entire morning so that the blonde would start to see that she was not alone. Loke stated that Virgo would be the first spirit to help Lucy in the morning and that Loke would help her tomorrow.

This morning, Orga was already in the kitchen getting ready when Virgo came in and stated that their plan was already under way and that Lucy was showering. The two started to get the supplies they needed ready—like filling water bottles, prepping for lunch, and planning on Lucy's first set of exercises for the morning.

As Orga thought about last night and this morning, he actually found it pretty amazing how much Lucy's spirits seemed to care for her and how much she seemed to care for them. He had seen Yukino's interactions with her spirits, but Lucy's interactions were very different. They acted like a family.

The Sabertooth Mage continued to work on his breakfast when he heard Virgo say amusingly, "Hime-sama has just finished her first mile."

"Good. Would you want to take her the water now?" Orga asked Virgo before he added, "I don't think she is ready to see me again just yet." The Sabertooth Mage then smirked a little again as he used his God-like hearing to listen in on the blonde running. His tiny partner had come up with some pretty elaborate curse words to call him—he was actually pretty impressed.

Virgo pulled the water bottle out of the fridge and replied, "Of course Orga-sama. I will return after she has completed the fifth mile just like Brother said last night, but I see that you have already added two additional miles to Hime-sama's routine."

"Yeah, your Hime-sama is a mouthy one," Orga said with a smirk as he drank down some water of his own.

The Maid Spirit smiled at the large Lightning Mage. Virgo was actually already becoming quite fond of Orga. She liked how the Sabertooth Mage brought out new emotions in her beloved Master.

Before she left the room, Virgo added, "Do not worry about the dishes Orga-sama. I will take care of those when I return."

"No Virgo that is ok. I will do them," Orga said as he finished off his plate.

Virgo just blinked a few times before Orga added, "We are supposed to help Tiny together. It wouldn't sit right with me if I let you take care of all the basic needs. It is ok Virgo I can clean up in here."

The Maid Spirit just smiled again and said, "As you wish Orga-sama," then turned to leave so that she could deliver the water to her friend.

As Orga began to gather and clean the dishes, he sensed the small presence of Mr. Yamagata walking down the hall. The Tiny old man entered the kitchen with a smile on his face and asked the large Sabertooth Mage who had started to dry his hands on a towel, "So how is training going?"

Orga just grunted and replied, "About as good as expected." Orga knew that Tiny would argue and try to fight her way through most of their discussion. She had admitted to him some stuff that he had already expected, but he felt his heart ache every time he thought about how she assumed that he would not want to be with her or help her.

Mr. Yamagata watched Orga intently. The old man knew that he had left his late friend's daughter in very capable hands. Then Mr. Yamagta replied seriously, "Orga I have been picking up rather odd magical disturbances all morning in my observatory. I believe that we are in for a rough couple weeks until the release of the cursed magic. I am afraid that the next few days, you and Lucy might see very little of me because I need to continue to monitor the disturbances."

"What kind of disturbances?" Orga asked with furrowed brows as he leaned against one of the counters behind him.

The tiny old man pulled an apple out of bowl and took a bite before he replied, "Well it looks like we are going to be in for quite a storm tonight. I hope you aren't afraid of a little lightning." Then Mr. Yamagata cracked himself up at his own horrible joke.

Orga just rolled his eyes and then used his hearing to listen in on his partner telling Virgo about how much of an asshole he was for not letting her eat her breakfast. The Sabertooth Mage continued to lean against the kitchen counter with a smirk on his face. He thought how if Tiny was cursing him now, she would definitely be cursing him for what was coming next after her laps.

Finally Mr. Yamagata said, "Now my friend please let me show you were Lucy can study about Celestial Magic this afternoon."

Then the tiny old man practically ran out of the room in excitement as the large Lightning Mage slowly followed behind. The two walked down the hallway towards the training room and then took a right down a long hallway.

When they reached the end of the hall, Mr. Yamagata was practically giggling as he said, "I wish I could see the look on Lucy's face when she comes here this afternoon. This was by far Layla's favorite place to be in the entire castle." The little old man then opened the doors and Orga's eyes widened at the room before him.


	20. Chapter 20

Lucy could feel how out of shape she was as the pain she started to feel in her side only made her grimace more. She thought that she would be in better shape than this. God knows how she was constantly running for her life because of all the situations her team would get into. But still…how dare that Thunder Headed Ass Hole just leave her like this!

Lucy let out a few creative curse words as she finished her first mile. She knew that Mr. Yamagata had said that Orga was supposed to train her and Lucy knew as a Fairy Tail mage that Mr. Yamagata was still technically a client, but it still pissed her off. Seven freaking miles?! Lucy continued to swear, no doubt thanks to Natsu and Gray's influence on her for when they got angry, as Virgo entered the room.

The Maid Spirit smiled at her master who looked like she wanted to punch a wall and said, "Hime-sama, I have brought you some water at Orga-sama's request. Would you like some?"

"Oooohhh, so the  _Great_  Orga of Sabertooth will allow his trainee a little bit of water? How thoughtful of him," Lucy snorted and said sarcastically before she added, "That large muscled baka wouldn't even let me eat my breakfast Virgo!"

Virgo smiled and jogged next to Lucy as she handed the sweaty blonde her water bottle. Lucy had just finished her second mile and boy was she already feeling the burn. How was she supposed to do five more miles?

Lucy took a long drink and let out a relieved sigh when she felt the cold water rush through her body. Virgo took the water bottle back and sat it at the edge of the room before she asked, "Hime-sama, would you like me to run with you?"

The Celestial Mage shook her head no. Lucy knew that Virgo passed through her gate on her own this morning, but until lunch time Lucy had to somehow keep Virgo here. She didn't want to use all of her energy up right away. She wanted to make it through one day of training to see her abilities. Perhaps by the end of the week she would be able to do more, but she didn't know what Orga had planned for her for the rest of the morning—she wouldn't give that man the satisfaction of her collapsing from exhaustion. Not that Orga would be rude, but she really wanted to beat the crap out of him.

Virgo just stood at the edge of the track and watched as Lucy continued to run. The Maid Spirit got a smirk on her face as she asked, "Hime-sama a moment ago you called Orga-sama a large muscled baka. Do you like the way Orga-sama's muscles look?"

Lucy about tripped on the track at Virgo's nosey question. As she regained her footing, she felt her face heat up at the question. Lucy smacked her face with her hands as she continued to run, because heated thoughts kept entering her mind. She remembered admitting to Orga when she was under the influence of the medication how she liked his muscles. His tattoos were pretty sexy too.

"AAHHHHHHHHHH! Virgo don't ask me questions like that! I am trying to concentrate on running! Besides Orga acted like a pompous asshole earlier! He thinks he is right just because he is one of the strongest mages in all Fiore, but I think he is an arrogant, pigheaded bastard!" Lucy yelled defiantly while blush still covered her face. She wasn't going to admit to anyone that Orga's muscles were greatly appealing.

Lucy felt her face heat up more as she just finished her third mile. She remembered how nice Orga's hand felt on top of hers earlier this morning. She wanted to scream though because one minute Orga could be so sweet and thoughtful, then the next minute he could be a complete asshole for making her run so long. Surely there were other ways to train her than by making her run.

The Fairy Tail mage zoned out for a minute, because she thought about how she and Orga were stuck here together for the next three weeks with no communication to the outside world. Lucy's face turned into a scowl, because she remembered how Master Makarov said that he would try to call her when her team got back to the guild. Where they back yet? Had Master tried to call her? What if he did try and couldn't reach her? Would her teammates freak out? Would Laxus freak out?

Lucy continued to run and tried to ignore the stabbing pain that she felt in her side, because the blonde Lightning Dragon Slayer—who was equally sexy and muscular like Orga, started to fill her thoughts. She sighed as she remembered how last night Mr. Yamagata said that if Laxus were to come here then he would be corrupted by the weird magic that was affecting the area. Part of her didn't know whether to feel relieved or upset that Laxus, and her team, couldn't be here. She didn't want anything to happen to them, not that she wanted anything to happen to Orga, but somehow Lucy knew that if anyone from her guild were here she wouldn't be able to do this job. Her thoughts ran wild as she pondered what it would be like if Laxus would be able to train her.

Lucy's breathing became somewhat labored but she continued to run. She couldn't help but wonder if Laxus would have been just as thoughtful as Orga was with her today? Would Laxus have told her that he thought she was strong enough? She knew that she and Laxus were not close, but after the past few conversations with him Lucy couldn't help but feel like that maybe she could get closer to the elder mage.

While on this mission, Lucy felt like she needed to prove herself. Also, she felt like she needed to protect her guild and Orga. Lucy didn't want to let this magic release into the rest of Fiore—she wanted to keep her team and Laxus safe. She wanted her team, Master Makarov, Master Mavis, and Laxus to be proud of her. She felt like she owed it to them after the Grand Magic Games. She wanted to show them that they could count on her too.

But Lucy couldn't help but frown, because she knew that the task ahead of her was a daunting one. She could feel tears start to well up in her eyes again and before she knew it Virgo was next to her with the water bottle and said, "Hime-sama, please take another drink of water. Plus you should feel proud of yourself; you are over halfway done now!"

Lucy gratefully accepted the water and looked around. She didn't even know when she had completed her fourth mile, but she was almost done with the fifth mile now too. The blonde took a long swig of water and wiped away the bit that fell on her chin before she said, "Thanks Virgo." Lucy realized that the amount she had run today was already starting to affect her. Her breathing was heavy and her feet felt like they weighed a ton.

Virgo watched her master out of the corner of her eye as she took the empty water bottle away. The truth was Virgo could feel her Master's emotions all over the place through their bond. She could sense the quickly depressing thoughts of her beloved friend and attempted to help by breaking her out of her thoughts.

Luckily a few moments later, Lucy finally finished her fifth mile. She pumped her arm in the air and yelled, "I did it Virgo!"

The Maid Spirit smiled and replied, "Congratulations Hime-sama, but Orga-sama did give you two additional miles this morning."

Lucy's excitment quickly faded as she moaned and then continued to run, but at a much slower pace. The truth was she felt completely nauseated now. Her legs began to tremble, but she was not about to give up.

Virgo made her way to the doors and said, "Hime-sama, I will go get more liquids for you and inform Orga-sama that you are nearly finished." Then with a bow Virgo left the room.

The last two miles seemed to take much longer. Lucy nearly collapsed on the ground, but rested in the center of the room on her back. Sweat coated her body as her chest heaved from her labored breathing.

Before Lucy had a minute to recuperate, the man who had caused her all of this pain came walking through the doors with Virgo. Lucy tried to ignore Orga's presence but felt a towel hit her face as she heard, "Get up Tiny, it is time for your next set of exercises."

Lucy jerked the towel away from her face and shot a glare at the expressionless Orga. Before Lucy could bite his head off, Virgo quickly held up a water bottle and said, "Hime-sama here is another drink."

The blonde thankfully accepted the token of kindness from her pink haired friend and began to chug down the water. Orga eyed Lucy and said, "Don't drink too fast Tiny or you will get sick and puke."

Then again before Lucy had time to mouth off Orga continued, "All right get up and put this on." Lucy looked at the God Slayer and saw that he held a black sleeveless vest with lots of odd pockets.

Lucy sat the water bottle down and asked, "What is that thing?" Then she walked over to Orga to take the vest but nearly dropped it as he handed it to her.

"It is a weighted vest. It will help strengthen your muscles and help you build endurance during some of your other exercises. We will start out with it being pretty light at first and add more weights as we go," Orga stated calmly as he waited for Lucy to put on the vest.

The Fairy Tail mage just sighed and attempted to put the contraption on. Once Virgo helped her secure the vest, Orga stated, "Ok Tiny now do fifty push-ups, fifty set-ups, and fifty lunges. Once you are done with that we will work on basic self-defense training."

Lucy felt wobbly with the added weight to her as she yelled, "HOW IN THE HELL DO YOU EXPECT ME TO DO FIFTY PUSH-UPS AFTER YOU JUST MADE ME RUN SEVEN FREAKING MILES?!"

Orga smirked and said, "Well now you already have six miles for tomorrow. Did you forget the rules Tiny?"

Lucy was tempted to run over and chuck her water bottle at the large man, but the thought of running less tomorrow sounded more appealing to her. So instead she stomped off to the other side of the gym and began to do as Orga instructed but not without mentally Lucy Kicking him across the face a hundred times.

Orga watched as the tiny girl attempted to do what he said. He could tell that she was already exhausted from the run this morning when Virgo walked up to him and said, "Hime-sama is still keeping me here with her own magic."

Orga watched as Lucy struggled to do her tenth push-up with the additional weight to her body. It had now been over an hour since her training began and Orga was impressed that Lucy was already able to keep a Golden Gate open this long, but then Virgo added, "Yes while Hime-sama's team was away, Hime-sama would call us spirits out more often to help her with missions. She has gotten a lot stronger than when I first met her."

Orga looked over at the pink haired maid and saw that she was eyeing her master with pride written all over her expression. Orga smiled slightly because he really liked this spirit. Virgo was much nicer than the playboy and even nicer than Yukino's spirits. She was easy to talk to, if not a little mischievous.

The two stood in a content silence as they watched Lucy continue with her exercises. Once Lucy had finished, Virgo handed her another drink and her towel. Lucy continued to breathe hard and now her legs shook even harder than before. She didn't know how she was going to continue for another few hours. Her chest hurt, her lungs felt like they were on fire, her legs burned, her arms felt like jelly, and sweat dripped form her body.

The God Slayer could tell that Lucy was trying very hard and he was impressed that she wasn't complaining more. Out of respect for her strength, he decided to let her rest a few moments before they continued with the next set of exercises.

Finally after about ten minutes, Orga said, "All right Tiny, now it is time to test your self-defense. Punch me."

Lucy watched as Orga held up his hand towards her. She raised her eyebrow at the man and asked, "Don't you need gloves or something? What if you get hurt?"

The silent gym was filled with Orga's booming laugh as he replied, "Tiny there is no way that you could hurt me. Now hurry up and punch me."

The blonde just snorted as she thought that Orga's statement was a little cocky, even for him. Not out of malice, but Lucy was determined to give him everything she had. She didn't like being laughed at, even if she knew that what Orga had said was partially true.

Lucy faced Orga and then swung her right fist towards his hand. When Lucy's fist made contact with Orga's palm she screamed, "OOOOOOWWWWWWW! What the hell Orga? Is that your hand or a brick?" The blonde grabbed her right hand in pain and hopped around the room in an attempt to not let the pain bother her. She silently prayed that her hand was not broken.

Orga just blinked a few times, because he almost didn't even realize that Lucy had attempted to hit him. This part of the training was going to be a lot harder than he originally thought. He watched as Lucy flailed her hand around and Virgo just watched with an amused look on her face.

The Sabertooth Mage just sighed and asked, "Tiny what the hell was that?"

"What do you mean what the hell was that? I punched you and then you hurt me!" Lucy said accusingly as she pointed a finger at Orga.

"How could I hurt you when you were the one that was supposed to punch me?" Orga said with a slight amused look on his face.

Lucy gaped at the man before her. She wasn't entirely sure how to respond. She was already exhausted from everything. It wasn't her fault that she had soft delicate hands and that her new partner was built like muscular god.

The blonde looked at her hand that was now slightly swollen and Orga shook his head as reached out for Lucy's hand. He cupped her small hand his large ones and eyed it carefully. Orga noticed that Lucy trembled slightly, but not out of fear, at his touch and he tried his best to ignore it. After Orga finished examining her hand he said gently, "Tiny it looks like you slightly sprained your hand. Let me go get you some ice and bandages and I will fix it up."

"I will go get the items Orga-sama," Virgo said excitedly and then quickly ran out of the room before the Sabertooth Mage could protest.

Lucy and Orga both stood in the room silently as Orga still held on to Lucy's hand. It was just like this morning—neither wanted to pull away from each other.

As Lucy studied her red hand she felt like her heart was going to pound out of her chest from her nerves. After a few moments of silence, Lucy finally asked quietly, "Orga, will my hand affect my training? Will we have to stop for the day?" Part of Lucy wanted to stop because she was exhausted, but at the same time she didn't want to let her friends down and didn't want her stupid hand to get in the way of what she was supposed to learn.

Orga continued to study Lucy's swollen hand as he replied, "I will show you some other techniques that won't require the use of your right hand after we get this taken care of. We will just make sure to keep it iced for today and you shouldn't use it much for the rest of today. By tomorrow you hand should be fine."

Lucy just nodded her head and said, "Thank you Orga."

"For what?" Orga asked as his white eyes met Lucy's chocolate ones.

"For being hard on me and for pushing me," Lucy admitted before she added, "I think I understand why Mr. Yamagata wants you to train me and not my team."

Orga studied the blonde girl before him as he asked, "Why do you say that Tiny?"

"Well let's just say that if the magic on this mountain didn't affect my team, or other members of my guild, then I think they would be too easy on me," Lucy replied. The Fairy Tail mage then wondered at what was taking Virgo so long with the ice and bandages before she continued, "Also, something you should know about my team is that they are very protective. I think they would do whatever they could to help me, even risking their own lives, because they have done it before."

The two mages stood in a collective silence for a few moments before Orga asked with his voice lowered, "What makes you think I won't do whatever I can to help you?"

Lucy blushed at Orga's question. She didn't mean for him to think that he wouldn't help her, especially since this morning he vowed to protect her. The blonde struggled to find the right words before she said nervously, "Orga I didn't mean it like that. I know earlier you said you would help me get stronger and that you would help protect me, but it is different with you."

Orga studied his partner's face as she bit her lip out of nervousness. Orga took a step closer to her and asked, "Why is it different with me?"

This time Lucy gulped at Orga's question. She could no longer look at the muscular mage before her as she replied, "It just is."

"How?" Orga asked now very amused by the bright red Lucy before him as he gently rubbed his thumb over her small hand that still rested in his.

Lucy shuddered in excitement by the physical contact with Orga. She couldn't seem to focus on anything specific because her emotions were all over the place. "Our relationship is just different," Lucy stammered out quickly and nervously.

A confident smirk spread across Orga's face as he leaned down towards Lucy's ear and asked with a husky tone to his voice, "How is our relationship different Tiny?"

Before Lucy could melt into a puddle on the ground, Virgo walked through the training room doors carrying the supplies to help Lucy's hand.

"Hime-sama, did I interrupt something? Should I be punished?" Virgo asked with a sly smile on her face as she noticed the close contact between her Master and the Sabertooth Mage.

Lucy's face heated up more as both Lucy and Orga took a step away from each other. Their reaction only made Virgo's smile widen.

"No Virgo you don't need to be punished," Lucy said nervously; however, Lucy conveniently left out that the Maid Spirit did indeed interrupt her conversation with Orga. The blonde was incredibly thankful, because she honestly didn't know how to reply to Orga's question. She knew that she felt differently about Orga than she did about either Natsu or Gray, they were her best friends. She surprisingly found the God Slayer to be easy to talk to and fun to joke with. Plus he made her feel safe, but at the same time he also made her feel strong. However, she noticed that they kept getting put into these situations that made her heart pound and he made her excited in a way unlike Natsu or Gray. The closest feeling she had to be able to relate to this was when Laxus said that he wanted to be her friend. Both men seemed to take her breath away and consumed her thoughts entirely.

After Virgo helped Lucy with icing and bandaging her hand, the blonde took a few pain relievers to help with the swelling and then continued her training with Orga.

The large Sabertooth Mage helped her with her stance, how to parry an attack, how to break a hold, and even how to improve her Lucy Kick. Orga made sure to not do anything today that would upset Lucy's hand but he continued to push her to her limits. They only had three weeks and both had to make the most out of what little time they had.

Finally it was nearing time for them to end with Lucy's morning training. Orga smiled when he noticed that Virgo was still in the training room with them. Lucy had successfully managed to keep Virgo out in their world for nearly four hours by using her own magic.

Before they would take their lunch break Orga said seriously, "Ok the last hour of our training, every day this week will be spent on you trying to defeat me with your magic."

Lucy had been resting her hands on her knees in an attempt to control her breathing. She looked up at the Sabertooth Mage quizzically and asked, "For an hour?"

"Yes for one hour. If you fail you will start over. Next week we will do an hour and a half and on the third week we will battle for two hours," Orga said as he distanced himself to the other side of the training room.

Lucy wanted to panic at what Orga had said. She wanted to yell at him that it was impossible, but then she saw that Virgo signaled to her to not say anything as Virgo ran in place. Lucy nodded her head that she understood the message. There was no way she was going to talk back to Orga otherwise he would add more miles to her run tomorrow morning.

"Ok Orga, but do you still want me to keep the weighted vest on?" Lucy asked as she took a drink from her water bottle.

"Yes keep the vest on because you need to get faster, especially since I am going to be trying to hit you with my lightning," Orga admitted. Then he added before Lucy could protest about being struck by lightning, "Also, you can use any of your spirits in battle against me except the one that is called out to help you for the day; however, you still have to attempt to keep that gate open at all times. You can also use your shiny whip if you wish."

Just to clarify the rules, Lucy asked, "So today I have to keep Virgo's gate open while I battle you, but she is not allowed to help me correct?"

"That is right Tiny," Orga replied.

Lucy pondered for a moment at what Orga had said. Right now she could only keep two Golden Gate Keys open consistently for battle. She had practiced these past few weeks at opening three at a time, but it was inconsistent and didn't last very long when she did. Keeping Virgo here today while only being able to summon one other friend, while battling Orga, would be difficult to do under normal circumstances—let alone being completely exhausted from working out all morning and Orga being one of the strongest mages she had ever met.

Before Lucy could come up with a strategy, she heard a crackling sound and then barely dodged a black lightning bolt headed straight towards her. "KYYYYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Lucy screamed as she jumped out of the way.

"Quit daydreaming Tiny and fight me," Orga said with a smirk on his face.

Lucy shot Orga a dirty look, because she felt a slight shock from his magic. The added weight to her body, because of the vest, made her slower than normal. Orga just watched the blonde with amusement as she tried to look intimidating.

Then again Orga sent a spark towards Lucy as she tried to decide which spirit to call forth. She needed a distraction until she could come up with a plan. Lucy barely dodged another attack and she knew that Orga was going easy on her right now—way easy.

Lucy yelled, "Open the Gate of Ram, Aries."

"Sumimasen," Aries replied nervously.

"Aries please do Wool Wall!" Lucy yelled as she quickly determined her various friends' strengths and weaknesses against Orga.

"Wool Wall!" Aries yelled as Lucy grabbed her water bottle; however, Aries's powers had no effect on Orga's Black Lightning.

"Sumimasen, my wool does not seem to be working," Aries bellowed towards her Master.

"Thank you Aries you can return," Lucy said as she felt a huge drop in her magic power. Having Virgo here all morning quick depleted what little magic she had left to use. However, Lucy had her trump card still and she knew that she only had the strength left for one more summon.

Orga watched as Lucy stuck one of her keys in her water bottle and she yelled, "Open the Gate of the Water Bearer, Aquarius." The Sabertooth Mage now recognized the Mermaid Spirit that appeared before him. It was the first spirit that his new partner called out in the Naval Battle against Minerva.

Aquarius turned towards Lucy and yelled, "HOW DARE YOU SUMMON ME OUT HERE THROUGH A WATER BOTTLE! NO WONDER YOU DON'T HAVE A BOYFRIEND!"

Lucy nearly collapsed from the use of magic and Aquarius noticed this as Virgo disappeared back into their world, but not before a black lightning bolt was sent their way. Aquarius used her water to direct the flow of black lightning away from them.

Black lightning sparked through the water around the training room as Aquarius screamed, "YOU ARE THAT SABERTOOTH BASTARD WHO WAS ON THE SAME TEAM AS THAT BITCH WHO HURT MY MASTER! YOU WILL PAY FOR THAT!"

Orga's eyes widened in amazement as Aquarius caused a giant wave to crash down on the entire room in an attempt wash him away; however, before the water could hit him he teleported to the other end of the room. He could use his lightning to easily attack both Aquarius and Tiny since water was not a good defense against lightning. But the point of this training was for his new partner to defeat him. He didn't want to risk hurting her in her spirit's crazy water rage.

However, the water quickly reached him at the other end of the room and Orga watched as Lucy was washed away with the current. Lucy was quickly swept towards him and he grabbed her to keep her steady. Her breath was heavy from using up the rest of her magic and he knew that they would have to stop for the day—especially since their training room was now a small lake. He saw why Lucy summoned this spirit, it was clear that the Water Bearer would destroy anything in her path.

Aquarius just harrumphed towards Orga and said, "You may be nice to my Master now, but I won't forget what that bitch on your team did. If you harm my Master, I will make sure that you regret it. Now I have to go on a date with Scorpio," then Aquarius disappeared and left Orga still holding onto Lucy.

The Sabertooth Mage stood there and surveyed the damage done by the Mermaid Spirit. This spirit was one crazy ass bitch. Orga then noticed that the water in the room slowly began to dissolve away as a little screen in the training room lit up to reveal Mr. Yamagata's smiling face.

"Hello my young friend. I forgot to mention to you last night that I put a protection spell on the training room so that Aquarius doesn't cause too much damage. When Layla was here Aquarius nearly destroyed my castle and all my research. Everything in the room will be back to normal by tomorrow morning. Have a great day my friends!" Mr. Yamagata said before the screen went blank again.

Lucy blinked her eyes a few times and then realized that she was soaking wet and that once again she was in Orga's arms. Orga's eyes met Lucy's as he said, "That was one crazy ass move Tiny. Is Aquarius always so volatile?"

Lucy just laughed as she tried to stand up, but realized that her body felt too heavy from all of the magic and physical training that she had done. "Yeah she has always been like that. I could tell that from having Virgo out for so long today that I wouldn't last long so I called Aquarius out. She works fast."

Orga just nodded his head in agreement. He would give Lucy a lecture later about calling out a water user against him. Instead he watched as the girl in his arms closed her eyes from exhaustion.

The Sabertooth Mage picked up Lucy and carried her to her room. He decided that it would be best to let her rest for a bit before she went to the room Mr. Yamagata showed him earlier.

As Orga carried Lucy to the living room area between their rooms, he gently laid her down on the sofa and lit the fireplace so that she would dry off faster. The Sabertooth Mage looked at the brave blonde girl and his heart ached as he watched her labored breathing. He knew that he had pushed her hard today, but he also knew that she could handle it. The fact that she had the strength to call out that Water Demon was proof enough that she was stronger than she appeared.

Orga sat there and contemplated about what Lucy had said earlier, that he was different than her teammates. He couldn't help but feel happy that she had gotten so flustered by their conversation. The truth was she was different to him too. He tended to be closed off to most people, even people in his guild; however, when he was around this tiny blonde he felt like he could be himself.

The Sabertooth Mage was glad that he would get to spend these next few weeks with this amazing girl and decided that today was an excellent training day. Orga then went to his room and grabbed a piece of paper to write a note to his friend. He placed the note on the coffee table in front of her and then went to the kitchen to prepare them some lunch.

* * *

About thirty minutes later, Lucy awoke to the warm glow of the fireplace. She blinked and looked around to see that she was in the living room as she slowly raised herself up on the couch. Her body already began to feel sore all over, especially her thighs from all those lunges.

She looked around and saw a note on the coffee table that read:

_Tiny:_

_After you wake up, get cleaned up and come to the kitchen for your lunch before I show you where Mr. Yamagata wants you to study. You can leave the weighted vest in your room and use it tomorrow when you run your laps._

_~Orga_

_P.S. You did really awesome today._

Lucy smiled at the message Orga had left her. She sweat dropped though as she remembered how pissed Aquarius got at him before she blacked out. She would definitely need to apologize to Orga for that later.

The blonde moaned out loud as she slowly stood up. Her limbs ached and she had no idea how she was supposed to run tomorrow. She carefully removed the weighted vest, which was extremely difficult since her hand was still sore from earlier, and rubbed her chest from the soreness of her workout. Even her boobs ached.

Lucy walked into her bedroom and carefully sat the weighted vest down on a chair before she grabbed some extra clothes and headed into the bathroom. She knew she didn't have time to take a bath, but could not wait to soak in it later tonight.

The Fairy Tail Mage quickly showered and got ready, because she was starving and couldn't wait to eat lunch. Lucy quickly donned a pair of black leggings with leg warmers and a pink tank top with a large off the shoulder gray sweatshirt. She wanted to be comfortable this afternoon because she could barely move her muscles. As she slipped on a soft pair of slippers that she knew Aries had made for her she moaned out loud again. Even bending over was a painful task after the brutal workout this morning. The blonde quickly tired her hair back up and then went to meet her friend in the kitchen.

As she entered the room, she saw that Orga was already seated at the table reading a book. Across from him was a large salad waiting for her. Her mouth salivated at the large bowl filled with leafy spinach, grilled chicken, eggs, strawberries, and about a hundred other vegetables.

"AHHHH! Thank you for the meal Orga!" Lucy said with a smile as she began to dig into the food that Orga had prepared for her.

Orga just nodded his head and said, "It's no problem Tiny. Virgo gave me a meal calendar for you this morning and said that Capricorn made it for you. It is a pretty strict diet. You only get one dessert a day."

Lucy pouted at Orga's statement. She remembered what Virgo had said something about that this morning, but she was hoping that her spirit friends wouldn't tell Orga this bit of information. She was hoping to sneak in some snacks but now she knew she wouldn't get anything past Orga. Damn her nosey spirits.

She quickly scarfed down her meal and guzzled down all of the water before her. Lucy wanted to crawl back to her room so badly and nap on that enormously large comfy bed of hers, but as soon as she was finished eating Orga picked up her plate and washed it in the sink. Lucy blinked a few times and said, "Orga I can wash that! What are you doing?"

"It is ok Tiny. You worked hard this morning, so it really isn't a big deal to this," Orga admitted as he quickly washed her dishes.

Lucy just blushed and scratched her head nervously. Then a smile spread across her face. Every day she learned something new about Orga, he was just full of surprises. She watched as the large Lightning Mage dried the dishes and sat them in a rack next to the sink. Orga was actually really sweet, even if he wasn't trying to be.

Once Orga was finished he said, "Mr. Yamagata came by this morning while you were running and showed me where you would be studying. He said he wouldn't be able to come and help today because he is studying the disturbances in magic. I guess it is already starting and he wants to keep an eye on it."

Lucy looked down and grew concerned. If it was already this bad that Mr. Yamagata wanted to monitor it all day, what would it be like in three weeks?

Before Lucy could fall into despair again, Orga quickly said, "Let me change the bandage on your hand and then you should put some more ice on it. After that I will show you to the room."

She just nodded at her friend's statement and nervously watched as Orga gently changed the bandages. Her swollen hand looked better already and she couldn't help but blush when Orga gently held her hand again. After the Sabertooth Mage handed Lucy another bag of ice, she followed him out of the room but not before letting out another moan because of her sore legs.

Lucy followed Orga down the long hallway and past the training room. He stopped in front of a pair of large wooden doors and he turned to her and said, "Mr. Yamagata wanted me to tell you that your mother loved this room and that he wished he could be here to see your face. I have a feeling that you will like it a lot Tiny." Then Orga opened the doors and watched as Lucy's eyes widened and face lit up.

Lucy gasped at the room before her and she forgot all about her sore body as she ran inside the large room. She honestly didn't know which direction she should look first. She had never seen anything quite like it before. The room before her was the most enormous library that she had ever seen, but it was so much more than that.

Within the large library contained thousands upon thousands of books that reached nearly all the way to the top of the ceiling. There were books of poetry, art, music, ancient literature, dragons, gods, magic, botany, and countless others.

However, something else caught Lucy's eye about the room. She looked up in awe at the ceiling, because above her displayed the most realistic painting that she had ever seen in her entire life. The ceiling looked like the night sky and the constellations of her spirit family intricately glowed above her head as swirls of magical energy flowed across the stars. It was absolutely breathtaking.

Lucy then looked around and saw large golden orbs that floated around the room. The orbs had various dead languages intricately carved into the orbs. She knew that Levy would even have a hard time deciphering some of the languages on the orbs and watched as they circled around the room. There were large sculptures of famous mythological heroes and paintings of beautiful ladies with knights. The room was like something from a fairy tale.

Orga just smiled and watched as Lucy looked amazed by everything in the room. She looked incredibly beautiful as she looked from one thing to the next, taking in as much possible. He didn't want to interrupt her and wanted her to be able to enjoy herself as long as she could. She had a rough night and rough morning and he hated to be the one to interrupt her fun, but he knew that he had to help her start learning more about her magic.

"Hey Tiny I will show you the book section that Mr. Yamagata showed me earlier. Also, do you want to call out one of your silver keys now?" Orga said as he made his way to the section of the large library that was shown to him earlier.

Lucy's attention was pulled away from a painting of what appeared to be a rare storm and said quickly, "Sure." She wanted to continue to look around but she knew that their time was precious and that Orga was right. Then the Celestial Mage called out Crux, because she knew that out of all of her silver keys, Grandpa Crux would enjoy the library the most.

The seemingly asleep floating spirit hovered next to Lucy as she followed Orga down one of the book aisles. The Black Lightning Mage stopped in front of a large section and said, "This is where he said that you should start," Orga then frowned and said, "Mr. Yamagata was pretty cryptic when he showed me this and said that some of this wouldn't make any sense to you and that if the time was right the information would reveal itself to you."

Lucy frowned at the hundreds of books that rested on the shelves before her before she turned to Crux and asked, "Grandpa Crux do any of these books look familiar to you?"

Orga eyed the floating spirit questionably. Did that floating Cross even here what Tiny had asked him?

"AAAAAHHHH!" Crux yelled before he said calmly, "Lucy-sama many of these books contains the histories of Celestial Mages like you. Although I would require more time to research these, several seem to contain hidden information that will only be revealed to a Celestial Mage."

Lucy just nodded her head at the news, then after several minutes of discussion with Crux she found the best section to start in. Her hand was still sore from earlier, so Orga helped her carry the books she needed to a nearby seating area and stacked them for her. Lucy plopped herself down on a chaise lounge and cracked open the first book.

* * *

Several hours went by and it was now nearing 6:30 p.m. Lucy continued to study book after book in an attempt to find out new information. Sadly, nothing had caught her eye. Several stories she had read she already knew from what her mother had told her when she was younger. She knew that tonight she should read some more of her Mama's letters and maybe that would help her narrow down on what to look for. Lucy was a bit annoyed that all she was able to cover today was the thousands of years of Celestial Magic history; hopefully she would find what she needed soon because so far nothing was mentioned about Andromeda's key other than rare possible sightings in history. Also, Lucy did not find any spells that might be able to help her.

Lucy's thoughts were interrupted when Orga said, "Have you had any luck today Tiny?" The Sabertooth Mage offered to stay and help her sort through some of the books. Luckily after the Grand Magic Games, Lucy purchased a pair of Gale-Force Reading Glasses and she lent those to Orga to use for the afternoon. Lucy showed him specific phrases to search for in an attempt to discover more about Andromeda's key.

"No most of this information I already know. Crux will continue to search in the Celestial Realm too though," Lucy said as she stretched in her chair. The blonde winced because her body ached even more from being so still for so many hours. Lucy had sent Crux back about an hour before, because she still wasn't recovered from having Virgo out all morning. She felt exhausted and could barely stand.

"Well then I think we should call it a day," Orga said as he stacked the books that they had already gone through on a table across the room.

"That sounds good to me; besides I am starving!" Lucy said as she attempted to slowly lift herself up off of the chaise lounge. She wanted to cry at how sore her muscles felt.

Orga just nodded as he and Lucy made their way out of the library and back towards the kitchen. After they entered, Lucy made her way to the refrigerator and asked, "Well what sounds good to eat?"

The Sabertooth Mage pointed to a calendar that hung on the fridge and Lucy looked at it and blinked a few times before she slammed the refrigerator door closed. "Dammit," Lucy muttered under her breath. She looked at the calendar and she recognized Capricorn's handwriting and every meal for the next three weeks had already been planned out for her. Lucy sighed and was at least thankful that dinner was going to be good tonight and that she would be able to eat a lot of vegetables. Capricorn had sukiyaki on the menu for tonight; however, she was still annoyed because she had hoped to have a strawberry shake tonight, but saw that she was only allowed to eat three ounces of a plain low-fat cheesecake for her dessert tonight. What kind of messed up life was this?

Lucy crossed her arms in annoyance and then noticed that Orga was getting out a cutting board and strainer. Lucy's anger vanished and was replaced with confusion as she asked, "Orga what are you doing?"

"I'm getting ready to make dinner. What does it look like I am doing?" Orga said dryly.

Lucy stood stunned for a moment before she exclaimed, "Orga I can't let you cook again! I should cook for you! It is my turn!"

Orga just sighed as he walked past Lucy and pulled the ingredients for sukiyaki out of the refrigerator. When Lucy tried to grab the ingredients away, Orga just held them over her head out of reach. "What the hell do you think you are doing?!" Lucy yelled at Orga.

The Sabertooth Mage just looked down at the stubborn blonde who had her lip sticking out at him and said sternly, "I already told you that I was getting ready to make dinner. You should just relax after training all morning."

"No," Lucy said defiantly before she added, "I should probably remind you that you helped me this morning and this afternoon, so we should at least make dinner together."

The God Slayer just shrugged his shoulders, but was inwardly happy that the blonde insisted to help. He liked the idea of them preparing a meal together. Orga decided to tease his new partner a little and said, "You know technically I could make you run another mile for arguing with me, but I will let this one slide Tiny."

Lucy flinched as she grabbed some of the shitake mushrooms to cut for the sukiyaki. She quickly turned and tried to give Orga a menacing look which only made the Lightning Mage chuckle at her actions.

As the two mages prepared their dinner, Lucy told Orga about everything she had read today plus stories that her mother had passed down to her. Lucy found it ironic that she could talk so openly with the strong Sabertooth Mage given their history, but she also found it therapeutic in a sense. Not many of her guild mates were interested in her magic, other than her team, Cana, and Mira. She knew that her magic was rare and it was fun sharing what she knew about it with someone else. Plus, Orga was a great listener.

After the two mages finished prepping and cooking their dinner they sat around the hot pot and enjoyed their creation. As they ate, Lucy asked Orga all sorts of questions about his own life in an attempt to learn more about him. She thought it was funny how he would get annoyed if she mentioned Sting, but she liked hearing about Yukino and Frosch a lot. Lucy really enjoyed their meal, minus the small bite of cheesecake that she was given, and really liked spending time with Orga when he wasn't being an overbearing asshole who made her run constantly.

When the finished eating and Orga was putting their dishes away, Lucy secretly snuck to the fridge in an attempt to sneak a bite of more cheesecake than what had been rationed out to her. However, somehow Orga already seemed to know her plans and teleported in front of the refrigerator to stop her.

The Sabertooth Mage looked down at the nervous blonde who was now fidgeting and fumbling with her keys and asked, "What do you think you were doing Tiny?"

Lucy threw her hands up in the air and said quickly, "I wasn't doing anything!"

An amused expression came over Orga's face. With his God-like senses he could tell that she had just lied. He leaned down closer to her and asked, "Should I add lying to your list of reasons for running extra?"

Lucy's shoulders slumped down and she shook her head no in defeat, she had a feeling her little white lie wouldn't get past her observant friend. She wanted to punch that smug smirk right off of his face. How dare he deny her a little more dessert!

Orga's smile widened when he saw her reaction. Virgo had warned him earlier that her Hime-sama desperately loved sweets and that she might try to sneak one past him. He found it amusing that Lucy felt confident enough to try it while he was still in the room. Orga rested his hand on the counter behind Lucy and leaned down closer to her, she was now trapped in-between him and the counter with nowhere to run.

Lucy's face heated up at the close contact and Orga said in his deep voice, "I promise that the first time you land a good hit on me during your training that I will reward you with as much cheesecake as you want."

Lucy's eyes lit up at what Orga had said. She completely forgot their close proximity for the moment and asked excitedly, "Do you really mean it?"

Orga just barked out a laugh as he leaned back and said, "Yeah Tiny I mean it. It is kind of funny that your motivation is food though. I will have to remember that."

"My motivation is not food!" Lucy yelled definitely as her annoyance of the large man returned.

"Sure whatever you say Tiny. Now do you need anything else out of the kitchen, because I am not going to leave before you? Also, I will know if you try to sneak in here during the night," Orga said confidently.

Lucy just harrumphed as she grabbed a cold pack from the freezer for her hand, before she turned to walk out of the room. Orga just chuckled and followed her out.

Once Lucy was out in the hallway, she turned to face Orga and asked nervously, "Ummm…what do we do for the rest of the evening?"

"Well I guess we can do whatever we want. What do you want to do Tiny?" Orga asked as he crossed his arm.

Lucy tapped her chin for a moment in thought and then said, "Well I wanted to read some more of my Mama's letters and I thought I would like to do that in front of the fireplace. Would you want to join me?" Lucy then felt extremely nervous because she didn't have any intention at first for inviting Orga to sit with her, but now that she had she really hoped that he would say yes.

"Sure, let me get a book from my room and I will join you in a minute," Orga said as he made his way to his room.

The Fairy Tail Mage just beamed at her new friend's response. She didn't know why, but she wasn't ready to have her night with Orga end just yet. Lucy quickly ran to her room and grabbed her stack of letters before she entered the living room area between their bedrooms. Her smile widened when she already saw that Orga was seated on the couch in the same spot he had sat in last night. Lucy grabbed the first letter from her Mama and then sat down right next to Orga.

Lucy opened the first letter and read:

_Dear Me:_

_Today was completely horrible. Mr. Yamagata showed me the swimming pool next to the training area and I thought it would be fun to practice with Aquarius. That tuna breathed mermaid nearly drowned me! (Oh god I hope she never finds this letter or she will kill me for calling her that!) She said that I shouldn't call her out for something so stupid and that she had to go on a date with her boyfriend—that poor man._

_Then this afternoon, Capricorn wouldn't let me eat the strawberry pastries that Mr. Yamagata had made for me. He said I needed to reduce my sugar intake. Today was awful!_

_The only good thing about today was that Cancer made my hair look pretty, he was the only nice friend I had all day!_

_Oh well, maybe tomorrow will be better since Mr. Yamagata is going to show me a library where I can study more._

_Love,_

_Me_

_P.S. I am going to try and sneak into the kitchen later tonight to get that pastry!_

Lucy laughed at her Mama's letter. She was surprised at the similarities between their situations. She also couldn't help but feel closer to her Mama knowing that Aquarius treated her the same way. Lucy's felt warmed by the thought that her Mama had once been here just like her. It was a comforting feeling that made her feel less lonely.

* * *

After several hours of content silence between the two mages, Lucy yawned out of exhaustion and touched Horologium's key to see that it was after ten o'clock. She looked over at Orga who was still reading and smiled at how serious his face looked. She was shocked that they had sat next to each other for several hours today and she never grew tired of being around him.

Orga noticed Lucy's gaze and looked up to see her smiling at him. He smiled back and asked, "Are you ready to go to bed?"

Both mages blushed and turned away by what Orga had said before he quickly corrected his last question, "I meant are you ready to go to your own room and I will go to mine."

Lucy waved her arms in front of her face and said quickly, while being incredibly embarrassed, "Yes I knew what you meant! And yes I will go to my room now! Goodnight Orga!" Then Lucy quickly grabbed her letters and bolted towards the door.

However she stopped dead in her tracks when Orga said seriously, "Wait Tiny there is something I have to tell you."

Lucy could feel her heart pounding and her face remained blushed as she asked, "W-what is it?"

"Mr. Yamagata said earlier that we were in for a storm tonight. So if you need anything don't hesitate to get me, ok?" Orga said as he walked up next to the trembling blonde.

Lucy just nodded her head and smiled at the Lightning Mage as she said, "Sure, goodnight Orga." Then she waved goodbye and walked as quickly as she could to her room.

As Lucy shut the door to her room, she leaned back against it and clutched her chest. She could not make her heart stop pounding. Every time she tried she kept hearing Orga ask her if she was ready to go to bed. She knew he didn't mean it that way, but she couldn't stop the fantasies playing out in her head. Damn her creative imagination!

Lucy decided that the best way to calm down would be to take a nice long bath before going to bed. She knew she had to get up early and didn't want Orga to add another mile to her run. Lucy stripped down and then made her way to her lovely bathroom.

Lucy sat on the edge of the bathtub as she filled it with warm water. She also found some citrus smelling bubble bath and added it to the water. Once the bathtub was full and warm, Lucy slowly lowered herself into the relaxing waters and let out a long moan at the strain on her muscles.

As she leaned back, she watched the snow fall from the sky. Even though this morning was complete hell, she had really enjoyed her day. Orga meant every word about wanting to make her stronger and she knew that he was doing just that. Her aching muscles were proof enough for that.

Lucy moved some of the bubbles to cover her naked body as she thought about the Sabertooth Mage. Why did he make her get all flustered? She moved her arms closer to wrap around herself as she thought about this morning when he vowed to protect her. It was so freaking sexy.

Lucy's eyes shot open because of what she had just thought. Her face turned crimson because she had previously known that she was physically attracted to Orga. How could a girl not be attracted to his muscular body? Also his mint green hair was so long and was oddly soft. She also loved how he wore tight shirts that showed off his glorious muscles now; however, she found herself missing how he walked around shirtless at the Games. Then there were his eyes. She had never seen white irises before Orga's; however, she found them mesmerizing as they seemed to sparkle with the very lightning magic that he used.

Lucy sunk lower into the bath waters, because of her embarrassment. Orga was her friend who was now supposed to help her train to get stronger—she shouldn't be having such perverted thoughts about him. But her pure mind strayed again as she thought about sparring with him and perhaps straddling him onto the ground.

"OH MY GOD LUCY, STOP!" Lucy yelled at herself as she slapped her cheeks.

She moaned at her own helplessness and then looked up at the sky light above her again. Lucy gasped when she saw a streak of lightning go across the sky while the snow continued to fall. She remembered that Orga had said that it was supposed to storm, but it was still an eerie feeling. Even though Lucy sat in hot water, she felt the hair on her arms rise as she shuddered from the cold.

Lucy's thoughts were torn away from the storm when she heard a male's voice whisper, "Blondie."

Lucy looked around her silent bathroom for the voice that she recognized—Laxus.

"Blondie," the voice again whispered.

Lucy jumped out of her bathtub and quickly wrapped a towel around her naked body, before she ran into her bedroom. She hardly noticed that all of the lights were out until a large flash of lightning from outside filled her room with light and was followed by the loud crashing sound of lighting. She gasped as she reached for her bag and tried to find her communication lacrima. Her hands trembled as the thunder outside shook the windows in her room.

She quickly pulled out the communication lacrima that Master Makarov had given her in hopes of seeing Laxus's face on the other side. She felt like if she could just reach him in time that somehow he would protect her from the storm; however, much to her disappointment the lacrima was dark.

Lucy nearly screamed when another large lightning bolt hit directly outside of her room. She looked towards the window where the lightning had hit and felt her body run cold as she saw a shadowy figure move outside.

The figure was haunting as it swiftly moved around the hot springs courtyard, not revealing itself entirely. Lucy felt like her legs weighed a ton and she realized that she couldn't call to Orga for help. The figure slowly crawled its way towards the door and Lucy's legs trembled in fear.

The shadowy figure reached for the window just as another figure in her room slashed towards her. Lucy jumped back and crashed into her nightstand, failing in an attempt to flee from the evil presence in her room.

Lucy's heart nearly stopped when a tall figure emerged from the shadows in front of her. It was a face that she recognized from countless nightmares while her teammates were away.

The tall figure of Minerva stepped towards Lucy and said, "Hello Fairy Trash."


	21. Chapter 21

**Special Author's Note:**  We have skipped several days in the timeline. This is after Lucy's first week of training. In the next chapter I will reveal what has happened to our beloved Celestial Spirit Mage.

Enjoy!

* * *

Laxus growled as he slammed some paperwork down on his desk and took a seat in his large black leather chair. He was extremely pissed off. It had been over a week since he had heard from Blondie. Every day his Gramps tried to call her and every day Sting had called them to see if there had been any news yet. Both Fairy Tail and Sabertooth were on the edge of chaos.

What pissed him off more was how his Gramps seemed to remain so calm about everything. The old man had even convinced Sting to just wait awhile longer and then if Lucy and Orga weren't back by the time that their mission was supposed to be complete then both guilds would send a team to look for them. Laxus was convinced that both his Gramps and Mavis knew more than what they were letting on.

What bothered Laxus more though were the intense and weird dreams he kept having about the Celestial Mage. After the first day when his Gramps couldn't reach her, Laxus went home and also tried to call the girl on his communication lacrima. He knew that it was futile but he felt like he had to try and he has tried every day since.

Then later that night, after he had fallen asleep, he had another dream about her. He could see her in a dark room continually crying; he could sense that she felt very alone and even though he tried to call out to her, she didn't hear him. He remembered waking to feel that tears were also in his eyes after that dream. He hated hearing her pained cries throughout his sleep. He wanted to be there for her and help her with whatever it was. Then the second night still plagued Laxus's mind. He could see a dark shadow looming over his guild mate as if it were hunting her. Every night since then, Lucy looked frailer and the shadow continued to loom over her.

After the dream he had that night, he was determined to go to Samui Yama and find Lucy no matter what. But much to his surprise when he left the area and found that a rune barrier blocked his path. His Gramps had asked Freed to set up runes so that he and the rest of Team Natsu could not make it more than a mile outside of Magnolia. When he confronted his Gramps about it, his Gramps gave him a pained expression and just told him that it was for the best. His Gramps had used his own team to help stop him, because now Laxus would never harm a member of his guild—let alone one of his best friends.

Laxus couldn't see what was best about any of this situation. He was pissed off by all of it, but more pissed that he couldn't do a damn thing to help Blondie.

As Laxus finished the first bit of paperwork, he heard a slight knock at the door. He could smell who it was and frankly he didn't want to deal with her bitchiness right now.

Laxus continued to ignore the knocks when he finally heard the pissed off voice of Evergreen say, "Laxus I know you are in there because Bickslow told me. Now you can let me come in or I can go get Freed and tell him that you are pouting again."

"Fine come in," Laxus growled. He wasn't in the mood to talk, but Freed could be ten times worse than Evergreen sometimes.

After Happy had declared to everyone that Natsu wanted to tell Lucy that he liked her, the rest of Laxus's team found out about his attraction to the girl because of his growl. The moment that he had stepped away from the guild that day he was nearly attacked by both Evergreen and Freed. Both members of his team demanded to know more information, which Laxus did not give, and Bickslow did nothing to help except grin.

Laxus didn't even look up from the stack of paperwork that he was doing when Evergreen stepped into his office. He could see out of the corner of his eye that she had sprawled herself out on his couch and was looking at her nails.

The two sat in silence for several minutes before Evergreen asked coolly, "So are you going to talk now? It has been almost a week since the rest of Team Natsu came back."

When Laxus didn't say anything and continued to work on the huge stack of paperwork that his Gramps had left him, Evergreen added, "You know Laxus; I can't imagine that this past week has been easy on you if you are fond of Lucy. Especially when you have had to hear the rest of the girl's in the guild gossip about how romantic it will be when Natsu and Gray confess their feelings for Lucy."

Laxus wanted to snap the pen he was holding in half at the mention of the two male's names. It was true how all week Mira had been screaming about pink haired, brown eyed or raven haired, brown eyed babies. The guild had exploded into utter chaos after the little blue Exceed leaked the information about the Fire Dragon Slayer. The rest of the guild, minus Mira, and Natsu remained motionless until Gray grabbed Natsu by the vest and punched him across the room.

One of the worst guild fights Laxus had ever seen broke out that day. In retaliation for Gray punching him, Natsu used his Lightning Flame Dragon Roar right there in the guild at Gray. Unfortunately at the same time, Juvia burst into tears which caused the entire guild to flood, as she screamed out 'LOVE RIVAL!' Laxus had to quickly eat the lightning from Natsu's attack so that the rest of the guild wouldn't be electrocuted in the flooded mess.

But as Laxus was eating the lightning, Gray used his Ice-Make: Ice Geyser on Natsu and sent half of the guild into a frozen frenzy. With Juvia's added water, the effects of the Geyser had twice as much power as normal. Then out of anger for the nearly destroyed guild, Erza donned her Heaven's Wheel Armor and lunged at Gray and Natsu to try and make them stop.

Thankfully his Gramps, Gajeel, and Mira in her Satan Soul intervened to help Laxus before more of the guild members were injured. Almost everyone was cut up or had large gash wounds from the fight, plus Wendy had passed out from exhaustion from trying to heal everyone. His Gramps sent Jet to go and fetch Polyushka to tend to the members that Wendy could not get.

The entire guild remained angry the rest of the afternoon at Team Natsu's actions. Usually they were used to their destructive antics, but this time Asuka almost got hurt in Natsu and Gray's crossfire and that pissed off everyone. Luckily the little Connell daughter was not hurt, because Reedus drew a flying cart in time that carried the girl to safety.

As a punishment for their behavior, his Gramps made the team spend the rest of the afternoon cleaning up the guild. Then by the time everything was cleaned up, and after Erza, Gray, and Natsu apologized to Bisca and Alzack, all was forgiven.

Even though the rest of the guild had forgiven the rest of Team Natsu's craziness, Laxus was still pissed off by the whole ordeal. His suspicions about Natsu and Gray had more or less been confirmed by the sudden fight that broke out between the two. What if Blondie was attracted to them? What if when she came back, he never even got the chance to be her friend because one of them confessed and she chose them instead?

Laxus was pulled from his sinking thoughts when Evergreen harrumphed and said, "Well if you want my opinion, which I know you usually don't but then you know I will give it to you anyways, I don't think Lucy would choose either Natsu or Gray as boyfriends."

The blonde Dragon Slayer narrowed his eyes at his teammate, he hated how Evergreen always seemed to pry information out of him. He hadn't said a damn thing about Natsu or Gray, yet this woman still seemed to know. However, Laxus would be lying if his friend's comment hadn't gained his interest slightly, "What? Why not?"

Evergreen smirked slightly, because she knew she would eventually get him to admit what she wanted to know. "I think she has a bond with both Natsu and Gray. They are her best friends along with Erza and Happy. If they both confess to her, I don't think she would choose between the two. But I have a feeling that she only sees them as friends anyways," Evergreen admitted as she shrugged her shoulders.

Laxus didn't seem convinced as he asked harshly, "Why in the hell would you think that?"

Evergreen snorted and replied, "Call it a woman's intuition, plus I saw the way she looked at you the day she left the train station. She has never looked at Natsu or Gray like that—well at least to my knowledge she hasn't."

The Dragon Slayer had more or less forgotten his paperwork as he asked annoyed, "What do mean how she looked at me?" Laxus had been aware that his team was there in the distance and they did show up at the end to stop his and Orga's fight, but he didn't know how much they were paying attention to his and Blondie's reactions to each other.

"Well I didn't really put two and two together until you growled like a wild animal the other day after Happy said that about Natsu," Evergreen admitted before she turned to one of her few close friend's in the guild and said softly, "The day that Lucy left, she looked at you like she didn't want to leave your side and like you were the only person in the whole world."

Laxus looked down at his paperwork as he ran his fingers through his luscious blonde hair. He let out a long sigh because he didn't know what the hell to think.

"Well are you going to tell me how you feel about Lucy now?" Evergreen asked quite smugly.

Laxus growled and said, "It is none of your damn business."

The Fairy Magic Mage rolled her eyes in annoyance at the Dragon Slayer. She wondered at how men could be such idiots more than half of the time. The mage then took sympathy on her friend and asked, "Is it because you think you don't deserve her?"

Laxus stiffened at his friend's inquiry. He was annoyed that Evergreen had been so perceptive, even though he had hardly said anything. Dammit. He quickly grabbed more paperwork and said grimly, "The truth is, I don't know what I feel."

"Could you at least tell me what you do know then?" Evergreen asked in an exasperated voice.

The Lightning Dragon Slayer thought about this for a moment before he said, "I know I didn't like seeing her go off with that Sabertooth Bastard, I know I didn't like it when Natsu and Gray broke out in a fight because of her, and I know that I am worried about her."

"Well to me it sounds like you like her," Evergreen stated bluntly.

"WHERE IN THE HELL DID YOU GET THAT FROM?" Laxus yelled.

Evergreen's smug smile came back as she said, "Well you clearly don't like the idea of her being with another man, unless it is you. You are worried for her which isn't normal for you. Also, I may have overhead Happy say that you talked to Lucy the other night on your communication lacrima. It seems you were the last person she spoke to. You never call people Laxus, not even your own team."

"You knew that I called her?" He asked in a lowered agitated voice. Laxus looked at the woman in annoyance. She had set him up. This whole time he had thought that Evergreen wanted to know just because she was nosey like that. But now that she knew he had called Lucy—he knew that Evergreen wouldn't let it go unless he admitted the truth.

Evergreen just laughed haughtily and said, "Yes Happy has such a crude and loud mouth on him. He let it slip at the bar, so Mira might start screaming blonde hair brown eyed babies soon too. But hopefully she won't remember because Freed overheard Happy too and immediately distracted her."

Laxus couldn't see how this could possibly get any worse. Mira knew too that he never made an attempt to call in anyone. He always expected people to call him if it was important. Dammit!

Finally, much to Laxus's relief, Evergreen got up from his couch and said, "I think that is all for today Laxus. However, I expect you to tell me soon once you do discover how you feel about Lucy. I really don't want to hear from Freed or Bickslow first."

Laxus just groaned as he continued his paperwork, but before Evergreen left she turned to her best friend and said, "I hope you do figure it out soon, because I think you two would be lucky to have one another. You are a different man than before Laxus. I know everyone in the guild loves Lucy. She is very deserving of that love. But I think you are worthy of it too and of her."

Then Evergreen left a completely stunned Laxus starring at the door that his friend had just walked out of.

* * *

"Watch what you're doing Flame Brain!" Gray yelled

"You wanna go Ice Pervert?" Natsu yelled defiantly as his fist lit up.

"Ne, Natsu and Gray, Mira said that if you guys get in a fight again then I am supposed to go get her or Erza," Happy said while eating a fish.

The Ice-Make Mage and Fire Dragon Slayer stared at each as each debated whether or not they wanted to risk the wrath of the two S-Class women.

Finally Gray tsk'd and went back to what he was doing just as Natsu extinguished his flames. After the fight in the guild earlier in the week, Natsu and Gray were punished by Master Makarov for their carelessness.

Each day, Gray and Natsu had to report to Mira and finish jobs that she had assigned for them. The first job was to entertain Asuka for an entire afternoon, because after the fight broke out Asuka was afraid to come to the guild because of the "Scary Ice Perv" and the "Flaming Devil". The two spent an entire day trying to make Asuka like them again so that she wouldn't be afraid anymore.

The rest of the week the two were sent on more manual labor tasks for the guild so that they could burn off some of their energy. While on these various tasks, both Gray and Natsu discovered that they could not get more than a mile outside of Magnolia. Just as the two tried to leave, they were surrounded by purple glowing runes. At first Master Makarov said that they would have to stay at the guild the whole time, but after a discussion with Freed the Guild Master changed his punishment so that Gray and Natsu could help inside of Magnolia wherever Mira needed them to be. Needless to say, the two were still trapped and unable to get to Lucy. Neither was convinced that they would be unable to help Lucy—despite Master Mavis's warning.

Today Gray and Natsu's task was to dust every single book in the library and then put every single book back where they had found it. Out of anger Natsu had already accidently sat one book and fire, which only made Gray angrier as he sliced one in half with his Ice-Make Magic. The two knew that they were going to spend the rest of their lives stuck in this library and both wished that Lucy were here to help them.

"Natsu you should take your job seriously so that we can go get some more fish," Happy said as he magically pulled out a second fish to munch on.

Natsu sighed as he pulled down another book off the shelf and said, "It's hard Happy. It isn't any fun here without Luce."

"Aye," Happy said sadly.

Gray also joined in with a heavy sigh and said, "Yeah she would probably even like a job like this—getting to see all the different books."

The room was filled with silence as all three pictured what Lucy would be doing if she were there with them now.

Tears started to form in Happy's big eyes as he whimpered out, "Natsuuuuu, I miss Lushhhhhheeeeee! What if the Sabertooth guy hurts her?! What if she doesn't come back?!"

Both Natsu and Gray flinched at Happy's cries and his questions. The truth was both had the same horrible feeling in the pit of their stomachs. They could both feel that their best friend was in danger and there wasn't a damn thing either of them could do about it.

"DAMMIT! I AM GOING AFTER HER! EVEN IF I HAVE TO TEAR THE TOWN APART! I DON'T CARE WHAT THE MASTERS BOTH SAID! I AM GOING TO FIND LUCE!" Natsu screamed as his body lit on fire again.

"LIKE HELL YOU ARE! I AM GOING AFTER HER!" Gray yelled as he formed his Ice-Make Prison around Natsu.

Natsu then busted through the prison and the two decided to fight the old fashion way—with fists.

As Happy watched the two friends fight each other again, all the little Blue Exceed could do was fly around the room and cry. He missed Lucy and he didn't want to go get Erza, because he knew that his two friends would be in even more trouble.

The two fought relentlessly for over half an hour. They began to haphazardly punch one another as Gray panted, "We wouldn't make it to her anyways. We can't get out of this stupid town."

Natsu pivoted to the right and gave Gray a jab to his ribs as he breathlessly gasped, "You don't think I know that Ice Dick!"

Gray turned upwards with his fist and gave Natsu an uppercut straight into his jaw and yelled, "WELL THEN HOW DO YOU EXPECT US TO GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE?"

"WE GO GET FREED AND BEAT THE CRAP OUT OF HIM UNTIL HE GETS US OUT!" Natsu said as he fell into one of the bookshelves.

Before Gray could respond to how much of a stupid idea that was, an entire shelf of books came crashing down on the two mages.

"NATSU! GRAY!" Happy yelled as he dove towards his friends.

The Blue Exceed tried to pull the books away as fast as he could until a sudden burst of fire and ice pushed all the books away, but not before one book in particular knocked Happy in the head.

Natsu and Gray were just about to start fighting again when they heard Happy gasp in pain. "Happy! Are you ok!?" Natsu yelled as he ran over to his small friend.

The little blue Exceed rubbed his head with his paw and replied weakly, "Aye Sir. But I think I will be better because of this," then Happy pointed to the book that hit his head.

Gray walked over and picked the book up. His eyes widened as he read the book's title out loud, "How to Break Any Rune Magic With Simple Logic."

Natsu, Gray, and Happy all looked at each other and smiled in victory as Natsu yelled, "I'M ALL FIRED UP!"


	22. Chapter 22

Orga stared out his bedroom window with a scowl on his face. The large Sabertooth Mage had just finished his shower and was about to go to bed when a large bolt of lightning hit the ground outside of his window.

His scowl deepened when another bolt of lightning hit the ground and thunder rumbled over the mountain. Mr. Yamagata was right when he said that it was no ordinary lightning. The God Slayer could sense odd magical entities mingled in with the lightning that struck down around the castle. It made him uneasy.

As the storm continued to rage outside, Orga's mind kept drifting to his beautiful blonde partner. He had been impressed by her acceptance and endurance of her training—even if she tried to fight him on every other thing. However, the fact that Lucy could be so mouthy about the assignments that Orga had given her was a good sign to him.

Orga smirked as he remembered their evening together. He enjoyed cooking with Lucy and listening to her talk about everything she had learned in the library. Orga had never found it easy to converse with anyone before and he liked that the blonde Fairy Tail mage felt comfortable enough with him to discuss her magic. He also enjoyed how they spent the rest of the evening just in silent contentment next to each other as they both read separately. He remembered catching a few glimpses of Lucy as she read the letters that were left from her mother. He liked the way her eyes would light up with each new letter that she pulled out. He found her to be absolutely breathtaking. He liked spending time with her and he was afraid of what would happen after their mission was over. He worried that once she returned to her guild then things would go back to how they were before.

The large Lightning Mage was about to lean back and close his eyes when he saw a large lightning bolt hit the ground outside and then he heard a blood curdling scream rip from his tiny partner's throat. Without even hesitating for a second, Orga immediately used his god-like powers and teleported with a flash into Lucy's room.

"TINY, WHAT'S WRONG!?" Orga yelled as his body sparked with his black lightning magic.

Lucy did not respond and Orga panicked when he saw the blonde huddled on the floor in a towel by her nightstand. Her body trembled in fear and Orga looked around to see if he could sense anything off about the room…but other than Lucy and smells he associated with her, the Lightning Mage did not notice anything.

Lucy continued to shake and cry on the floor as Orga made his way over to her and bent down next to her. He gently reached out and touched Lucy's shoulder, but she flinched from the contact.

Orga felt like his heart had been ripped in two by the girl's actions. He looked at her with concern as he asked, "Tiny, talk to me. What is wrong? What happened?"

Lucy looked up and she felt like she was about to puke. She looked around the room and was partially relieved that Minerva was no longer there. Her large brown orbs, filled with tears, looked into Orga's worried eyes as she tried to whisper out, "M-Minerva."

Orga's body immediately stiffened as he looked around the room again. He looked back at his new partner in confusion, because he could not sense his former guild mate's presence anywhere. "Tiny, I know this will be difficult but you need to tell me what you mean," Orga said tensely.

"S-she w-was here i-in my r-room," Lucy whimpered out as tears began to stream down her face. She felt so embarrassed for crying in front of Orga. She shuddered at the memory of the former Sabertooth Mage. Lucy had thought she had gotten over the traumatic experience that Minerva had put her through. Ever since the Grand Magic Games, Lucy had more than one nightmare that was plagued by the black haired woman and her haunting eyes. Now here she was again, reliving the nightmare of the Naval Battle and all of the emotions that came with it.

The God Slayer grew more concerned as he asked, "What do you mean she was here in your room?"

"You should know!" Lucy yelled out as tears continued to stream down her face. She hid her face in her knees as she cried, "Can't you smell her or something!?"

Orga flinched at Lucy's cries and accusations; however, he knew for a fact that Minerva was not here and had never been here. "Tiny you need to look at me," Orga said firmly.

Lucy timidly looked up to see Orga's serious expression before he said sternly, "Tiny, Minerva has not been in your room tonight."

"SHE WAS IN HERE ORGA!" Lucy wailed definitely. She was not crazy; she knew that she had seen the woman.

Orga continued to look at Lucy with concern and then he remembered Mr. Yamagata's warnings from this morning and last night. He remembered that the old man had said the lightning caused people to see and hear things. Is this what was happening to Tiny? Orga tried to reach out for Lucy again, because he hated seeing her so upset. It broke his heart when she flinched away from him again. The large Lightning Mage looked down at his scared partner and said gently, "I know what you saw probably seemed real, but please believe me when I say that I know for a fact that Minerva has not been in your room."

Lucy looked up like she was about to protest as she started to cry harder; however the Sabertooth Mage cut her off as he looked down at the ground and said earnestly, "I need you to have more faith in me Tiny. I know that it might be difficult considering that Minerva was my teammate, but you are more important to me than she ever was. I would not let her come within a hundred feet of you. I would never let her lay another hand on you. My job is to protect you and aid you. I would know if Minerva were here because I would be able to sense her magic. She has not been here."

"B-but why did I see her?" Lucy asked, now very ashamed for how she had acted. She didn't mean to accuse Orga of anything, but she had been so scared when she thought Minerva had found her. She hated feeling weak, because of that woman.

"I don't know. Mr. Yamagata did say that whatever was causing this event to happen, did not want you here. I think that whatever it is wants you to be afraid," Orga said gently.

Lucy and Orga sat on the floor in silence as another large lightning bolt hit the ground outside. Lucy flinched when the boom of the lightning echoed off of the windows. She felt so terrified and she knew that Orga wouldn't lie to her about Minerva, but she couldn't shake this eerie feeling that seemed to clutch her heart.

Orga sat in silence next to his partner, because he was unsure of what to do. He didn't want to leave her alone but every time he got near her she flinched away from him. He felt a deep pain in his chest because he felt so hopeless.

"Orga, I'm sor-," Lucy attempted to say but then she grew cold as another figure entered her line of sight. She began to tremble again as she looked past Orga to see another evil memory smirking at her—Future Rogue.

Orga watched as Lucy's eyes widened in fear. Out of instinct his magic radiated off of his body as he turned around to pummel whatever it was that his partner was so afraid of. But when Orga turned around, all he saw was an empty room. He could not sense any intruder, but he could tell that his partner was about to panic even more.

"Tiny, what is it? Who did you see?" Orga asked as he turned back towards Lucy who had began to sob again.

Lucy heard what Orga had asked but she couldn't respond because of what Future Rogue was saying. "Yes Lucy, why don't you tell my idiotic guild mate just how crazy you really are," Future Rogue sneered, "Tell him that I will enjoy killing you the moment he leaves. I killed you once before and now I have come back to finish the job."

The blonde Fairy Tail mage just sobbed harder. Every fear and nightmare that she had while the rest of her team went on special missions, after the Games, was now rushing back to her. She remembered waking up in her apartment screaming for help night after night for someone to save her as Minerva and Future Rogue plagued her dreams. Now here they were again and she felt all alone.

Orga couldn't take it anymore. He didn't know if Lucy was seeing Minerva or something else. No longer caring about whether Lucy would flinch or not, the Sabertooth Mage grabbed ahold of Lucy's shoulders and forced her to look him in the eyes. "Tiny, I don't know who or what you are seeing but I promise you that it is not real. We are the only two in the room. I will not leave you. I will be here for you. If you can't believe in anything else, please believe in me," Orga said with determination in his voice.

Lucy gulped because out of the corner of her eye she could still see Future Rogue smiling evilly at her, but she kept her focus on Orga—her friend. She slowly nodded and whispered, "I will try. This time it is Future Rogue though."

Orga tensed, because once again the nightmare was about someone he knew. He remembered hearing at the ball at the end of the Games how it was a future version of Rogue who had caused the dragon mess. He hated what his guild had done to her and he was determined to set her free from her fears.

"Tiny, I think it would be best if you went and changed. I promise I will be standing right outside the bathroom door if you need me, but I swear I won't let anything hurt you," Orga said as he reached out a hand to help his partner up off of the floor.

Lucy blushed because she realized that the whole time Orga had been in here, she still had her towel on. However, she shrugged it off her embarrassment and didn't care because Orga hadn't drawn attention to it. She just nodded as she took Orga's hand and let him help her up. His hand felt strong and warm. His touch had a lingering feeling on her and she believed that he would keep her safe.

As Lucy grabbed her things, she noticed in her peripherals that Future Rogue seemed to stalk her like prey. She shuddered at how his crimson eyes seemed to penetrate through her towel.

Orga noticed Lucy's shudder and reached out and placed his hand on her shoulder. "Tiny, he isn't real. If he was, I would have kicked his ass for you by now."

Lucy just smiled weakly at the fact that Orga seemed to be able to know what was wrong. She finished grabbing some pajamas and made her way to the bathroom and shut the door behind her.

After Lucy shut the door to the bathroom, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath as she removed her towel and started to change into her pajamas.

As Lucy's towel hit the floor, she could hear Future Rogue say, "Mmmm…Perhaps I will wait to kill you. After all, you have such a nice body even if you are a weak little slut."

Lucy tried to ignore Future Rogue's harsh remarks as she put on her underwear, but the vision's taunts continued, "I will break you before I kill you Lucy. It was so much fun during the Games when I watched you get beat by Minerva and then when I killed the future version of you. You are pathetic and the weakest in your guild. You were made for nothing other than for a man to get off on. You will die here and I will laugh over your dead body when you do."

Lucy struggled to button up her pajama top because her hands trembled in fear. She fought to hold back the sobs as Future Rogue said, "Natsu isn't here to save you this time. I will have my way with you and then leave your corpse to rot somewhere where your precious guild cannot even find."

Before the hallucination could continue, Lucy heard a knock on the door and Orga's worried voice ask, "Tiny are you all right?"

But before Lucy could answer, Future Rogue said, "I swear to god Lucy if you so much as say anything I will kill Orga in front of you right now."

Lucy started to sob harder and tried to tell herself that he wasn't real and that he couldn't hurt Orga, but nothing seemed to work. She tried to tell herself that she was smart and that Orga was right. Minerva and Future Rogue were not real. They were not here. They could not hurt her. But no matter how hard she tried she felt a coldness run through her that she had never felt before.

After a few seconds, Orga's knocks grew louder and he said a little louder, "Tiny please answer me before I rip the door of its hinges and come in there after you."

"If you say anything Lucy then you will regret it," Future Rogue said as he suddenly appeared between the bathroom door and Lucy. The Future version of Rogue leered at her as he said, "Perhaps I will just take care of Orga now. Although, it would be fun to make him watch as I torture your body. He seemed to enjoy watching you suffer when Minerva beat the shit out of you, but on the other hand he seems rather fond of you now. Perhaps he just wants to get into your pants; because there is no way that he would ever like a weak little slut like you."

Suddenly the bathroom door flew open and Orga stepped through the door, making Future Rogue suddenly vanish. Lucy lunged herself at Orga and wrapped her small arms around his waist and wailed into his massive chest.

Orga froze by the sudden body contact of the girl who had a death grip around his torso. The smell of fear that radiated off of his partner almost nauseated him as he looked down at her and asked, "Tiny are you ok? Why didn't you answer?"

Lucy continued to sob but managed to say quietly, "H-he s-said h-he would kill you." Lucy started to hyperventilate before she could say anything else that Future Rogue had said.

The God Slayer wrapped his arms around his trembling partner as he said gently, "It's ok and you don't have to tell me anymore. I am here. He can't hurt me and I won't let him hurt you."

Lucy just cried harder as the two heard the storm rage on outside. No matter how hard Lucy tried not to think about the visions of Future Rogue and Minerva, she couldn't stop feeling terrified.

The two stood in the bathroom for several minutes with their arms wrapped around each other. Orga was afraid to move away, because he was afraid that the girl in front of him would collapse if he did.

Lucy was just about to calm down a little when she noticed a presence in the room again. She looked to the left and saw Minerva leaning up against the wall. The slender figure of Minerva said in a dark voice, "Awww…isn't that cute. My old guild mate is comforting the weak bitch."

Orga felt Lucy shudder again and he could sense her pulse quicken. He knew that she was seeing something again so he quickly said, "Tiny, why don't you get some rest now."

Then before Lucy could protest, Orga led Lucy out of the bathroom and over to her bed. Lucy just stood there as Orga pulled back the covers for her and then motioned for her to get in.

Lucy just stood and stared at her bed. She felt so weird, like she couldn't control what her body was doing or thinking at all. She felt as though all she could do was stand and watch as events played out around her. She saw Minerva saunter over as the woman said cruelly, "You are such a little bitch, having everyone take care of you. But Orga is on  _my_  team and he will do as  _I_ say. He will just laugh at you again when I beat the shit out of you and kill your stupid ass this time."

Before Lucy could respond to anything, she felt a sudden wave of fatigue hit her. It reminded her of when she used to open too many gates during a battle. She felt drained and suddenly felt like her legs weighed two tons and would have collapsed to the floor if Orga had not caught her.

"Tiny what happened?" Orga asked as he lifted Lucy up bridal style and placed her in the bed. He looked at her and could sense that a sudden wave of fatigue had suddenly washed over her.

The large Sabertooth Mage carefully pulled the covers over her when he saw his blonde partner tremble. He could not mask his worry when he asked, "Tiny, do you need anything?"

Lucy watched as Minerva grinned at her at the foot of the bed and then the lightning outside struck down again and lit up the room.

Orga followed Lucy's line of sight towards the edge of the bed but still saw nothing. He sighed, not out of annoyance, but because he knew that for his friend that it would be a long night. He looked back at the scared blonde with concern. He hated seeing her so terrified, especially right after she had found confidence in herself again this morning.

The large Lightning Mage decided that he would take a seat in the chair across the room, since he promised to stay with her tonight. But before he could step away, he felt a tiny pair of hands grab the back of his shirt as loud thunder roared outside.

"Please don't go," Lucy whispered quietly as her hands trembled.

Orga turned around and said worriedly, "Tiny, I'm not going anywhere. I am just going to sit down over there. I will still be here, but you need to rest."

All Lucy could manage to say was, "Please don't go…"

The Sabertooth Mage felt his chest tighten at the pained whispers of his partner, but he was uncertain as to what she wanted so he asked gently, "Tiny, what do you want me to do?"

He watched as Lucy looked towards the edge of the bed again and then she moved over slightly as though to make room for him. Orga watched her with uncertainty as she rested her head down on a pillow and stared up at him with worry filled eyes.

The God Slayer heard another crackle of lightning and knew that the storm was getting worse. He watched as Lucy flinched into the covers more and let out a startled cry. Orga didn't want her to feel like this. He wanted her to smile, talk about her Celestial Spirits, and argue with him about stupid stuff. The muscular Lightning Mage slowly lowered himself down onto the bed and stretched out next to his blonde partner.

Almost instantly after Orga's head rested back on the soft pillow, he felt Lucy's tiny arms wrap around him and she buried herself into his chest. Out of instinct, he wrapped his arms around her to comfort her and said gently, "Everything will be ok Tiny. I won't leave. I will stay awake all night and make sure that you are safe."

He felt Lucy's tense body relax slightly when he wrapped his arms around her and then he heard her whisper, "Orga…she said that she would kill me this time and that you would laugh."

If Orga didn't have Lucy in his arms then he would have lost control of his magic and blasted a hole in the wall. Lucy didn't have to say Minerva's name for Orga to know who his new partner spoke of. That bitch wasn't even a member of his guild anymore and yet she still seemed to be a burden to him. "I would never let her touch you Tiny and I would never laugh at someone hurting you ever again," Orga said as calmly as he could. He knew that these were just illusions that the Fairy Tail Mage was seeing, but he couldn't help but be pissed by what had been said about him.

Orga silently continued to seethe in anger at the memory of Minerva when he heard Lucy reply, "I know you wouldn't do that anymore Orga…you're different now…but that isn't what scared me the most…"

The Sabertooth Mage looked down at Lucy who began to cry again as she whispered, "I-it was w-when F-Future R-Rogue s-said that h-he w-would k-kill you."

Orga felt Lucy's grip on him tighten as she began to wail into his chest. His heart ached as he heard her cries, but clearly what Future Rogue had said seemed to eat away at her. They had only been together for a few days, but Orga felt like he and Lucy had already created some sort of unbreakable bond and both would do whatever it took to help the other.

He gently pulled Lucy closer to his chest as he whispered back to her, "He can't hurt me. I wouldn't let any version of Rogue beat me in a fight. I would never let someone take me away from you. They cannot hurt us here, Lucy. Not Future Rogue, not Minerva, and not anyone else. We are safe. I won't let go of you."

Lucy smiled slightly as tears continued to stream down her face, because Orga had used her real name again. She wrapped her arms tighter around her new friend; because he was the only thing keeping her grounded as the images of Future Rogue and Minerva swirled around the room.


	23. Chapter 23

"This is all your fault," the figure of Hade's said to Lucy in a deep serious tone.

Lucy couldn't even look at the former Master of Fairy Tail as she watched her guild hall burn to the ground. She collapsed to her knees and her body trembled as she clutched the ground with her fingers and whispered out, "Why?"

Embers danced across the sky and the clouds looked blood red as they loomed over the destroyed city of Magnolia. "Because you are weak," Hades replied before he added, "Makarov never should have sent you to Samui Yama."

Lucy felt like her chest had been ripped open by the cruel man's words next to her. She started to sob as the Fairy Tail sign above the guild went crashing down to the ground. Suddenly Lucy heard someone groan under a pile of debris nearby. Out of instinct, Lucy lunged towards the debris and called out, "HOLD ON!"

Hades just harrumphed at the girl's actions as Lucy dashed over to where the groan had come from. As Lucy approached she saw a bloodied fist peeking out from underneath one of the beams. "Please hold on!" Lucy called out as she tried to lift the beam off of the person.

"Luce," the voice whispered out from under the pile on wood.

Lucy's heart clinched at the voice that she recognized so well before she screamed out, "NATSU HOLD ON! I WILL SAVE YOU!"

"Luce…" Natsu said even more faintly.

No matter how many beams and pieces of the broken building Lucy managed to pull off, it seemed like more and more kept piling on top of Natsu. Tears streamed down her face as the fires continued to consume all of Magnolia and their beloved guild. Lucy's hands were covered in blood from splinters and she felt like she could barely see because of all the smoke.

"I'm coming Natsu, hold on!" Lucy sobbed out as she finally lifted the last board away. However, Lucy gasped when she saw Natsu underneath the debris—or what was supposed to be Natsu. She almost puked when she saw Natsu covered in blood and gashes. His face was almost unrecognizable and his pink hair was matted with dried blood, but she knew it was him from his voice and the white scarf around his neck. Lucy cried harder when she looked down and saw that he missing a leg. "Natsu…" Lucy cried out as she knelt done next to the crumpled figure of her best friend.

"Luce…you came back," Natsu coughed out painfully as blood leaked out the side of his mouth.

Lucy grasped Natsu's bloodied hand with her own as she cried, "I'm here Natsu. I'm going to take care of you. I am so sorry…it is my fault…it's all my fault!"

"It's too late Luce—everyone is dead," Natsu said as his eyes glazed over, "Gray, Erza, Gramps, Mira, Lisanna, even Happy…they are all dead."

Lucy felt like her heart stopped as she looked around. Suddenly she spotted scarlet hair sprawled out underneath a large part of the fallen guild building and next to the scarlet hair was the half-naked torso of Gray pinned down under several stones and beams of debris. But one of the worst sights Lucy saw was the bloodied blue fur lump on the ground. The blue Exceed's body was motionless and was positioned in a way that looked like he had tried to save Carla and Wendy from the destruction—but the attempt had been pointless.

The only sounds that came out of Lucy were deep throaty sobs. She felt like her heart was shattering into a million pieces. Her chest ached with such intensity that she struggled to even find breath in-between her painful cries.

Then before Lucy could help Natsu, the Fire Dragon Slayer asked with his final breath, "Luce, why did you leave me?"

"I DIDN'T MEAN TO NATSU! I LEFT TO PROTECT YOU!" Lucy cried out, but it was too late. Lucy watched as Natsu's body went limp and his ragged breathing finally came to an end.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Lucy screamed as she grabbed Natsu's torn vest, "NATSU YOU CAN'T DIE! YOU CAN'T LEAVE ME! YOU'RE MY BEST FRIEND! I CAN'T LOSE YOU TOO!" Lucy continued to wail as she pounded her fists onto Natsu's chest, "You can't leave me! You can't leave me! YOU CAN'T LEAVE ME!"

Suddenly Lucy felt a presence behind her and she heard Hades's voice say, "See…you were too weak."

Lucy just continued to sob as she let Hade's words sink into her brain. Hades then asked, "Why does everyone you love die Lucy Heartfilia?"

Lucy gasped and looked up the man who spoke, because as Hades spoke his voice had changed midway into another man's voice. When Lucy looked up she no longer saw Hades next to her, but her Father…the Father that she remembered from her lonely childhood.

"Well Lucy, it seems that your selfishness and ignorance has cost you quite a great deal," the vision of Jude said callously towards his daughter before he added, "You were always selfish and didn't understand the value of being a leader. Your own stupidity caused this carnage."

Lucy just watched in horror as her father pointed to two other figures near Natsu. "Master! Laxus!" Lucy cried out as she ran over to the figures. But it was too late…both men were already dead. She looked at their lifeless bodies with a hallowed feeling in her stomach. These two men were some of the strongest that she knew…how could they end up like this? It looked like Laxus had tried to shield Master Makarov with his own body, but the amount of debris on top of them was enough to crush anyone. Her heart ached at the sight of him and she felt like she had lost something more precious and dear to her than she had ever known.

"L-Laxus," Lucy whimpered out as she reached out her hand towards his. Hot tears fell down her cheeks as she felt Laxus's cold hand. "Master, Laxus, I am so sorry," Lucy cried as she held up Laxus's large hand to her face.

She hated this. She hated feeling like this. Why was this happening? Who or what could have done this to her guild?

"All of this could have been avoided if you wouldn't have run away," Jude said harshly as he stood next to Lucy.

Suddenly the world swirled around Lucy and Jude and she was no longer in front of the burning Fairy Tail guild hall. Instead Lucy stood on top of a mountain with snow swirling and lightning striking down around her.

Lucy then noticed a figure slumped down in the snow and saw that the snow around the figure was stained red. But before she could run over to check on the figure, she felt a firm hand grasp her arm. She looked at the hand and saw that Jude had ahold of her arm tightly and she looked deeply into his cold and unforgiving eyes. Those eyes sent a wave of emotions through her. She suddenly remembered thousands of fears and nightmares that she had as a young girl. Those eyes made her remember how scared and lonely she had been after her mother had died. Those eyes were cruel and she remembered the verbal abuse that she had suffered while she lived under her Father's roof. He made her feel weak, useless, and he made her feel like she wasn't worth anything more than a bargaining chip for a business deal. She hated how she remembered how he had made her feel.

"Everything you have seen today is your fault…remember that," Judy said coldly before he vanished.

Lucy trembled in fear at her Father's words before she turned back and ran towards the slumped figure. However, the closer Lucy got to the bloodied figure on the ground, the heavier her steps became in the snow. She felt like she could hardly lift her leg as she slowly moved closer and closer.

Snow swirled around Lucy and her heart nearly stopped when a large bolt of lightning came crashing down in-between her and the figure, but then Lucy froze when she noticed the light green hair color of the slumped figure in the snow. "ORGA!" Lucy called out as she tried to crawl her way towards him.

Orga's motionless figure didn't move as Lucy finally managed to reach him. She could see that his body was covered in gashes and blood continued to seep from his open wounds. Then before Lucy could turn Orga over to face her, a large black figure suddenly swopped down and sent Lucy's body flying back at least ten feet from Orga.

"AHHHHHHH!" Lucy screamed as the figure flung her back and her body hit the snow. Her body felt weak and damaged and she watched in horror as the blurred figure partially materialized in the space in-between her and Orga.

"W-who, w-ho are you?" Lucy asked in horror as the odd lightning danced around the figure in the snow.

Chills ran up Lucy's spine as the figure breathed out harshly, "The one who will kill you Lucy Heartfilia."

The figure blurred and moved around the area near Orga's body. Suddenly Lucy found the courage to yell, "GET AWAY FROM HIM!"

The figure hissed and screamed as it rematerialized in front of her. Lucy felt her body go numb as a skeletal like hand reached out and grabbed her by the throat. The figure hissed out harshly, "You do not belong here! I will destroy you, just like I destroyed your companion. He was so brave and stupid as he tried to protect you. It was fun torturing him and watching him as his life left his body. Once I am released, your guild will be the first thing I crush because of your defiance. I will make you watch and you won't be able to do anything about it as I drain the life from your _precious_ nakama."

Lucy felt tears roll down her cheeks as she tried to focus in on the figure, but her vision became blurred and she felt like she couldn't breathe. She tried to grab the hand and she tried to kick at the figure, but nothing seemed to work.

The figure just cackled as the lightning began to rain down on top of them. Lucy's eyes widened in horror as she finally saw two eye sockets in front of hers. The blank eye sockets glowed an eerie dark green back at her and the figure said coldly, "You will die here."

Then all Lucy could do was watch in horror as a large bolt of lightning struck down towards her.

* * *

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Lucy screamed out as she bolted upright in her bed.

"Tiny it's ok, I got you!" Orga said very worriedly as Lucy's now drenched in sweat body shook violently.

The Sabertooth Mage had been relieved earlier when his partner had finally fallen asleep in his arms. He thought that she was sleeping peacefully up until a moment ago.

Lucy started to sob and said, "Orga, they are dead! They are all dead!"

"Who's dead?" Orga asked concerned as Lucy's limbs shook in fear.

"N-Natsu, m-my team, M-master, L-Laxus," Lucy wailed as she tried to get off of the bed and then said, "We have to leave. We have to leave now, before you die too!"

Orga didn't like this at all. He grabbed ahold of Lucy before she could get off the bed and said gently, "Tiny, your guild and your Team are fine. We cannot leave… _you_  cannot leave. You are needed here."

"HOW DO YOU KNOW!?" Lucy yelled defiantly, "YOU DON'T CARE! YOU ARE A SABERTOOTH MAGE! WHY WOULD YOU CARE ABOUT MY TEAM OR GUILD!?"

The large God Slayer flinched at Lucy's harsh words and he watched as realization of what she had said entered her eyes. "O-Orga, I'm so sorry," Lucy cried out as she buried her face in her palms and wept.

"Tiny it's ok," Orga said gently as he rubbed Lucy's back. He knew she didn't mean what she had said, even though her words still stung him. Orga knew that her dream must have really upset her.

"No it isn't!" Lucy wailed out harder in anger at herself for how she had treated him. It wasn't Orga's fault. She knew that he wouldn't really keep her from her guild if they were in danger. "Y-you didn't deserve that," Lucy whispered out.

Orga just watched in anguish as Lucy continued to cry and shake next to him. He froze though when he heard her say, "Everyone was dead. I watched Natsu die right before my eyes. Then y-you were dead too. The figure said that it tortured you."

Then Lucy's wails became louder and Orga pulled her closer to him again. He held her tightly as she continued to cry into his chest. "I'm not dead Tiny. I am right here next to you," Orga said as soothingly as he could. He wasn't used to comforting people so he wasn't sure if he was even doing it right before he added, "Besides, I don't think your guild would die or lose a fight so easily."

Normally Lucy would have laughed if someone had said that about her guild mates, because she knew how true that was, but this time Lucy couldn't find it in herself to laugh as a figure emerged in her bedroom next to Orga.

Her brown eyes focused in on the figure of her father as Jude said harshly, "Your guild's idiocy and their stupid, misplaced faith in you will get them all killed."

Lucy trembled in Orga's arms and Orga looked around the room to where Lucy's eyes were fixed. His jaw clenched because he could smell the fear that came off of her. He hated how useless he felt against these visions.

The large Sabertooth Mage looked down at the blonde cradled in his arms and asked, "Tiny do you want some tea? Would that help you get back to sleep?"

Lucy just shook her head violently and she responded in-between gasps, "I-I d-don't want to go back to sleep."

After Lucy finished her sentence, a large lightning bolt struck down outside of her room. Lucy couldn't help but cry out because her nerves were so frazzled that she felt nauseous from lack of sleep.

Orga knew that this couldn't continue and he honestly didn't know what they would do if every night for the next three weeks would be like this. The powerful Lightning Mage gently grabbed Lucy's hand and said, "Let's just go to the kitchen for now. You don't have to go back to sleep if you don't want to, but will you trust me to take care of you?"

Lucy looked up at Orga for the first time and saw the seriousness in his face. His expression was kind, but strong. Lucy just nodded her head and linked her fingers around Orga's as he helped her off of the bed.

The God Slayer was relieved that she trusted him as he escorted her to the kitchen across the hall. Once they were in the hallway, he watched as Lucy's muscles already started to relax. The sound of the storm outside had died away once they left the room and entered the kitchen.

Lucy took a seat at the table as Orga went to prepare some chamomile tea for them. Nothing could be heard except the sound that Orga made as he prepared them some tea. Lucy's eye lids felt heavy and her face felt sore from crying. She thought that her body was finally starting to calm down as the soothing scent of chamomile filled the kitchen; however, her muscles stiffened when Jude's figure reappeared in the kitchen next to her. She hated how the memory of her father tormented her. She wanted to remember him the way he had died…the man from his final letter to her. Not the man who had bullied her throughout her childhood.

Orga still had his back to Lucy, but he sensed the moment her nerves started to escalate again just as the tea was finished. He turned around and saw that her head was looking directly down at the table in front of her as though she were avoiding eye contact with someone or something.

The Sabertooth Mage slowly sat the cup of tea down in front of Lucy and he took a seat next to her. He moved his chair closer to her, because earlier when Lucy had been asleep any time he tried to readjust or move away even slightly she firmly grabbed ahold of him and pulled him closer. He wasn't sure why, but he knew that his presence alone had helped in at least some small way.

Orga looked at Lucy and saw tears starting to form in her sad brown eyes again. He draped his arm over the back of her chair and asked gently, "Tiny, who are you seeing now?"

Lucy had just reached out for her tea cup when Orga asked her a question. She looked down at the warm liquid in her cup and whispered, "My Father."

The God Slayer's brows furrowed together, because earlier this evening it had been two figures that he knew would most certainly cause Lucy fear—Future Rogue and Minerva. He was slightly surprised that her own Father would cause such terror and sadness in her eyes.

Orga rubbed the back of his neck and then said, "If you don't want to talk about it I understand, but I am here if you need me."

Lucy continued to look down at her cup of tea before she slowly took a sip. The tea felt good on her coarse throat and made her feel a little better. Even though the figure of her Father was in the room, she felt a little better next to Orga. His kind actions and his words made her feel less alone. She took another sip of her tea and then said, "My Father died just before I and the rest of my guild mates returned from Tenroujima."

Orga took a drink of his own tea, but a scowl was apparent on his face before Lucy continued, "After my Mama died, my Father distanced himself from me. I was never good enough in his eyes and everything I did he looked down on. I ran away from home and then eventually met Natsu and joined Fairy Tail. Shortly after I joined Fairy Tail he hired Phantom Lord to bring me back home and our guild got destroyed in the process."

The Sabertooth Mage sat in silence and took everything in. He was just a teenager then, but he remembered hearing about Fairy Tail's guild being destroyed. He just had no idea that it was all for his new partner.

Lucy took in a deep breath before she added, "After that I told my Father that if he ever attacked Fairy Tail again then we would consider him an enemy. Then we parted ways and only had a brief encounter after that. He lost everything he had worked so hard for and wanted to start over. The last time I saw him was right when he was about to rejoin the Love and Lucky Merchant Guild—where he met my Mama."

There were several long minutes of silence that followed, because Orga could tell that Lucy was not done expressing what she needed to. Finally Lucy said, "Most of my life my Father made me feel useless. In the end, I know he cared about me because of a letter he left for me. But I never got to see the man again who was in love with my Mama; the man my Father was before she died. The man engraved in my memories is still the man who yelled at me for trying to bring him his lunch on my birthday…the man who tried to forbid me from using magic."

Tears began to stream down Lucy's face again, even though the vision of her Father finally disappeared from the room. She barely managed to whimper out, "Why is this happening?"

Orga knew exactly what Lucy was trying to ask. Everything she was seeing and dreaming were amplifications of her own worst nightmares and memories. The Sabertooth Mage gently put his large hand on Lucy's small shoulder and said seriously, "Tiny, why this magical disturbance is here I don't know. But what I do know is that it is trying very hard to break you. I know this might be difficult to hear, but in a way you should be proud of yourself."

Lucy blinked her tears away in confusion and asked, "What do mean?"

"This is only the first night of the storms. We still have several days of this to endure and look at how hard this magic is trying to push you over the edge. Mr. Yamagata was right about you. You have to be incredibly strong for it to have already tried so many ways of causing you to suffer," Orga said with a solemn tone. He didn't like what was happening to his partner and he wanted it to stop, because Lucy was already a nervous wreck—but at the same time he knew that what was happening to her was going to continue because her magic was the only thing that could stop the magical disturbance.

Lucy honestly didn't know whether she should feel proud of herself or more depressed, but then she asked, "Why do you think the visions suddenly come and go?"

The Sabertooth Mage thought about this for a moment before he replied, "Mr. Yamagata might know more about it, since he did warn us about it yesterday. However, it could possibly be that whatever causes these visions to appear requires some form of magic. Since the disturbance on this mountain seems to be unstable, maybe whatever causes them can only use so much magic to create them at any given time."

The Celestial Mage blinked in surprise at Orga's response. She was amazed at the very detailed answer that he gave. Lucy thought about Orga's statement and came to the logical conclusion that his assessment was probably accurate. She didn't like the thought that of once the disturbance's powers grew than the visions would be here longer. She honestly didn't know how she was going to overcome them. It was as though the visions cut straight to her soul; like they knew her exact weaknesses.

The two mages sat in a content silence and drank their tea. Lucy didn't want to admit it, but she was feeling the soothing effects of the chamomile and her eye lids became heavy from exhaustion. She didn't sleep well earlier and she could tell that her body needed more sleep—even if she was too afraid to go back to sleep.

Orga noticed Lucy's head starting to sway and how her blinks became slower and slower. He grabbed their cups and went to set them in the sink before he suggested, "Tiny maybe you should try and get a little bit more rest."

Lucy just looked back down at the table. She knew that she was exhausted, but she was honestly too afraid to close her eyes again and fall back into another deep, restless slumber. The images she saw in her last dream would forever haunt her memory.

The Sabertooth Mage watched as his tiny, blonde partner shuddered in her seat. It was already past 3 a.m. He didn't know what to do. He couldn't force her to go to sleep, but he knew that she needed her rest. Orga knew that Lucy would not be able to continue for several days at this rate if she didn't get proper rest.

Lucy looked over at Orga to study him. The powerful Sabertooth Mage was leaned back up against one of the kitchen counters with his large, muscular arms crossed over his massive chest and his brows were furrowed in thought. These dreams and visions were haunting her and yet there Orga stood like a solid rock for her. If he hadn't been there tonight, she felt like she would have drifted away into nothingness. Even when she screamed at him about Minerva or for being a Sabertooth Mage—he still stood by her. She felt guilty and felt like she didn't deserve the friendship that he had shown to her. What had she even done to earn it?

The Celestial Mage looked away in shame at her thoughts and then whispered out, because she knew Orga would be able to hear her, "Orga, why have you been so kind to me tonight?"

Orga looked surprised by the blonde's question. Why wouldn't he be nice to her? She had given him a chance when not many people would have. He didn't deserve the trust she had placed in him, but she still gave it. "Tiny, why wouldn't I be nice to you? I told you when we were training that I wouldn't let you go through this alone. I am a man of my word," Orga admitted with a serious yet gentle tone to his voice before he added, "We are friends now remember? I would never let anything happen to you."

Lucy felt tears start to form in her eyes and she looked over at Orga who gazed back at her with such intensity that it practically made her heart stop. But before Lucy could respond the image of seeing Orga's crumpled body all bloodied in the snow popped into her head. Lucy couldn't hold back the sobs that escaped her throat as she tried to cover her mouth with her hand.

The Sabertooth Mage was shocked by the sudden change of emotion in his partner and he quickly went over to her, leaned down, and grasped her shoulders as he asked, "Tiny, what's wrong? What happened?"

"M-my dream," Lucy cried out as she threw her arms around Orga's neck, "In m-my dream you were dead because you tried to protect me. I wasn't strong enough Orga!"

Orga stiffened by Lucy's sudden bodily contact with him, but the large Sabertooth Mage quickly relaxed as he wrapped his arms around his partner's fragile body. She felt so delicate in his arms and he let her wail into his chest. He was shocked by the turn of events and never would have guessed that he would find himself in this situation. Orga thought that Lucy was the most incredible person he had ever met and he hated seeing her so troubled.

"Tiny, I promise you that I will not die. I could never leave you alone like that. Besides, I know you won't let me die. You are kind of stubborn that way," Orga admitted with a slight chuckle at the end of his statement.

Lucy couldn't help but let out a pained laugh at Orga's honesty. It hurt because she wanted to laugh because she knew what he said was true, but she just couldn't find it in herself to. Suddenly, Lucy felt a wave of exhaustion hit her. Lucy felt frazzled because her mind was fatigued from all of the emotions that she had experienced from tonight and her body was drained from the hard day's training. Unknowingly she slumped into Orga's chest more and struggled to keep her eyes open.

Orga felt Lucy's body go limp in his arms and he could sense the exhaustion that hit her. He was glad that she started to feel relaxed enough to try and get some sleep again. Then without even asking for her permission, Orga gently scooped Lucy up into his arms and started to head back towards her room.

"Hey…I can walk," Lucy mumbled out in-between a yawn.

The Sabertooth Mage didn't even try to argue with her, because he knew that she was just being stubborn. Instead, he just continued on his path to her room and then gently placed her down on her large, soft bed.

Once Lucy's head touched the soft fluffy pillow she looked up at Orga and asked, "You are going to stay right?"

The God Slayer just smiled slightly and said, "Of course I am going to stay Tiny."

Lucy scooted over on her bed again to accommodate room for the muscular mage as he eased himself onto the bed and under the covers with her. Both mages were secretly thinking about how if either of their guild mates knew about their current positions then there would be all out chaos; however, neither of them cared about that at the moment because right now they needed each other's friendship more than anything.

Once Orga was positioned in the bed on his back, Lucy scooted back over and snuggled up to his chest. Orga's muscular arms went around his tiny partner instinctively and Lucy felt a wave of relief wash over her. Her nightmares from earlier were still fresh in her mind, but the fear associated with them was not as overwhelming once she breathed in Orga's calming scent.

Lucy remained in Orga's embrace as she thought about the night's events. She knew that the visions and nightmares were only going to get worse and worse the closer it got to the unleashing, and she knew that she would need to find a way to conquer her fears.

Right now Lucy felt too vulnerable. She was thankful that Orga was here for her, but she knew she would have to find a way to mentally conquer her own fears. These visions and nightmares were not physical beings, so she and Orga could not physically fight them off. They were all in her head. Her head was the problem and she had to find a way to overcome the fear before it consumed her.

Lucy looked up at Orga who now had his eyes closed. She gave a pained smile, because she knew that even though his eyes were closed he could still sense everything going on. Lucy knew that Orga would not fall asleep until she did.

Suddenly the Celestial Mage felt something stir in her chest as she studied Orga's serious expression. Without even thinking about what she was doing, Lucy gently leaned up and placed a soft kiss on Orga's cheek and whispered, "Thank you for everything Orga." Then she gently rested her head back down on his chest and fell to sleep.

The moment Lucy's soft lips touched Orga's cheek, he felt like time froze. The muscular Sabertooth Mage kept his eyes closed as Lucy whispered her thanks and then rested her head on his chest. Orga's was thankful that Lucy fell asleep quickly; because his face was now blushed and he knew there was no way he was going to be getting any sleep tonight.


	24. Chapter 24

The next several days were some of the longest and most brutal days in Orga and Lucy's lives. On the first night, just when it seemed that the nightmares were finally starting to calm down, Lucy awoke screaming in terror again. Almost every hour on the hour, Lucy awoke screaming and crying because of the nightmares she had witnessed. The Celestial Mage could not get more than an hour's worth of sleep before she was plagued once again by horrific nightmarish images of her guild mates dying or suffering.

Every time Lucy awoke, the strong Sabertooth Mage would try and comfort her but the dreams were getting worse and more intense with each passing night. Orga felt hopeless as he watched Lucy's normal happy disposition quickly fade. Dark circles became apparent under her eyes and she would flinch at the slightest sound. Orga even tried to offer Lucy an extra dessert one night, in an attempt to perk her spirits up a bit, but she just shook her head no. No matter what he tried, Lucy just started to shut down in front of him.

After the second day of training, Mr. Yamagata came and joined Lucy and Orga for dinner. The elderly man noticed the effects that the storm was having on his new young friend and he offered to make her a potion that would help her get better sleep; however, the potion had little to no effect on Lucy. It seemed that the more she tried to fight against the nightmares and visions, the more that the magical force retaliated against her.

It was now at the end of the first week of their training and both Lucy and Orga were functioning on just a few hours of sleep from the entire week. Orga hated that they had to keep training, because he could tell that it was just wearing his partner out more but they both knew the consequences of what would happen if they did not push themselves.

Unfortunately with the lack of sleep that Lucy was now suffering form, her training became more and more difficult. The blonde mage could barely manage to keep a Golden Gate Key open for more than an hour, because she was just too tired to hold it open longer. Her body felt drained and even breathing seemed like a labored task. She felt defeated and utterly hopeless.

Orga let out a sigh after they had finished Lucy's training for the day. He was not upset at her or her lack of energy, he was angry at the way this magical force seemed to be sucking the life right out of his partner. He wanted to be able to blast the heck out of it just so he could see Lucy smile again.

The God Slayer looked down at his tiny partner that just stood there in front of him holding her water bottle with her eyes fixed on the ground below her. "Tiny, why don't you go get cleaned up and I will get some lunch ready for us," Orga said as gently as he could.

However, no matter how kind Orga's words came out, Lucy flinched when she heard him talk. A scowl was apparent on the Sabertooth Mage's face because all week Lucy had been flinching and he could tell that it wasn't really from him, but from some unknown presence in the room that only she could see. After the first day, Lucy had stopped telling him who she was seeing in the room with them because the frequency of the visits seemed to increase. The Lightning Mage watched as Lucy's eyes darted to a corner in the training room and she just nodded her head at Orga's statement before she left to go back to her room.

Once Orga's partner was out of the room, he summoned twenty training dummies, like the one that Mr. Yamagata had shown him on his first day here, and then blasted them all to pieces with one large bolt of lightning.

Orga looked at the smoking residue that was left of the training dummies, but he still didn't feel satisfied with their destruction. He let out a low growl out of anger, because of his partner's current predicament. For the first time in his life, he felt utterly useless. He was one of the strongest mages in Fiore and he couldn't do a damn thing but watch as Lucy deteriorated right before his eyes.

The God Slayer was just about to send up another twenty training dummies to blast before he went and made some lunch for Lucy, which he knew she wouldn't even eat, when a sudden flash of golden light appeared next to him.

"What do you want Loke?" Orga asked in a gruff tone, not even trying to hide his annoyance.

Loke readjusted the shades on his nose before he asked in a defeated way, "How is she doing today?"

Orga just sighed, because Loke had asked him the same question every day since the nightmares and visions started. Not only was Lucy cutting herself off from Orga, but she was shutting herself off from even her Celestial Spirits. All the spirits could feel was that Lucy was terrified and not even they could get her to open up to them. Everyone was on edge, because Lucy wouldn't let anyone in to help her. Everyday Virgo and Loke would come and check on their precious Master and all they could do was watch as Lucy shut down and closed herself off emotionally from them.

"She is worse," Orga admitted as he blasted another twenty training dummies. The Sabertooth Mage and the Leader of the Zodiac had somehow found common ground this past week in their attempt to help their beloved friend. Orga didn't want to lie to Loke and told him his honest assessment of Lucy's behavior.

After Orga inspected the dust again, after he had blasted the training dummies, he said solemnly, "I have been able to figure out why she is closing herself off to you guys though."

Loke turned to look at Orga with a little hope in his eyes, but then the Lion Spirit's world seemed to shatter around him when Orga admitted gravely, "Last night, she was screaming your guys' names out in her sleep. No matter what I tried, she wouldn't wake up from the nightmare. I think she had to watch you guys die right in front of her eyes and there was nothing she could do about it. If I had to guess, she is distancing herself from you guys to protect you."

The Zodiac leader listened to Orga's confession and couldn't help it when he felt tears run down his cheeks. "God dammit!" Loke screamed, "I promised her that I would protect no matter what after she saved my life. Now all I can do is sit here as she suffers alone. I hate this! Isn't there anything we can do? She doesn't deserve this!"

The Sabertooth Mage listened to the Lion Spirit's cries and protests. He felt much the same way as Loke did. Tiny was the last person to deserve this kind of cruel treatment. She was kind and thoughtful. She didn't deserve the fate that had been thrust upon her. Also, part of him felt like she had saved him too.

Orga let out a deep sigh and then said, "No…she doesn't deserve this, but every time we try to help her she closes herself off more."

"THAT'S BECAUSE SHE IS STUBBORN! SHE ALWAYS TRIES TO SAVE EVERYONE ELSE AND NEGLECTS TO SEE HOW THIS WILL AFFECT HER!" Loke yelled out in anger as he remembered how Lucy began to fade away with him when she tried to save him from dying.

The God Slayer just harrumphed at Loke's declaration. After working with Lucy for just a short time, he had picked up almost instantly on how stubborn his new partner was. At first he thought it was just a Fairy Tail thing, because their guild had quite the reputation for being a guild full of hard heads—but Lucy took stubbornness to a whole new level.

"ARRRGGGHHHHHH!" Loke growled as he ran his hands through his orange hair before he let out a defeated sigh, "I feel so useless."

Orga just crossed his arms over his massive chest and used his hearing to see if Lucy was still getting ready. He could tell that she had just finished her shower so he decided that he should shower quickly and get their lunch ready.

However, before Orga could leave Loke asked, "Orga, are you having any dreams or seeing anyone?"

The God Slayer just shook his head no before he replied, "I haven't seen anything. The old guy, Yamagata, said that I probably wasn't seeing anything because the magical force at work sees Lucy as more of a threat."

Loke just nodded his head at Orga's statement. Neither male knew if that was a good sign or a bad one, but either way they were both pissed at the way Lucy was being targeted. At this rate, it would be a miracle if she made it through the next two weeks.

The Sabertooth Mage looked over at the clearly distressed Zodiac Leader and said honestly, "You can join us for lunch, you know that, but I think if she were to see you now it would only make her more upset because she would remember everything she saw in her nightmare."

Loke looked defeated and replied with a heavy sigh, "You are right. I just, I just want her to know that we are here for her."

The two stood in an understood silence next to each other before Loke continued, "Orga, thank you for being there for her in a way that I couldn't be this week. We all know how much you have done to take care of our precious Master. We will never forget your kindness and I am sorry for judging you so harshly when we first met. You are surprisingly a pretty nice guy." Then Loke readjusted his shades once more and said confidently, "But don't think I still won't treat you like a jerk once we get out of this mess and Lucy is back to normal."

Orga just snorted at Loke's honesty and then waived his goodbye to the Zodiac Leader before the Lion Spirit disappeared back into the Celestial Realm.

* * *

After Lucy had picked at her food, she finally decided that she should go to the library to study. She would normally be ecstatic at the thought of being in that huge, beautiful library all alone with so many books, but all Lucy could do was dread going there. She felt inadequate and hopeless every day when she went there and found nothing that would help save her friends.

"Orga, I am going to go study now," Lucy said with an exasperated sigh.

The blonde could tell that the Sabertooth Mage was shocked that she even spoke at all, but she could tell that he was just as tired as she was. Lucy felt horrible at how she was causing Orga to lose so much sleep.

"Just give me a second and I will go with you," Orga replied as he looked down at Lucy's plate and noticed that she only took about three bites of her meal.

"No, I will be ok," Lucy said solemnly before she added, "You should try and take a nap or something."

"I'm coming with you Tiny," Orga said bluntly.

Then before Lucy could object, a tiny lacrima crystal lit up in the kitchen and Mr. Yamagata's face appeared on the screen before them. The little old man smiled brightly at the two mages and said, "Hello my young friends! I hope all is well you both today."

Neither Lucy nor Orga responded because frankly neither mage was having a good day, but Mr. Yamagata hardly noticed the lack in response that he received before he added, "Orga, I was wondering if you would be able to assist me this afternoon in my laboratory. I have a theory that I need to test and I need some of your God Slaying magic to test it."

Lucy took the opportunity to say with a halfhearted smile, "See Orga, you can go help Mr. Yamagata…I will be fine." Then before Orga could object to anything Lucy gave a little wave and left the kitchen quickly.

After Lucy left the kitchen, her face turned into a deep frown as she made her way to the library. As Lucy walked down the long hallway alone, her steps grew heavier and heavier. She felt exhausted and the hallway seemed to spin around her; however, her attention was quickly put on alert when a figure suddenly appeared next to her. Lucy tried to ignore the vision next to her as she continued on her way to the library, but the future version of Rogue just leered at her.

"Well Lucy, it looks like you were even more useless today than usual," Future Rogue said coldly before he added, "I'm sure my former guild mate is embarrassed to even be seen in the same room as you."

The Celestial Mage just continued into the library and didn't say anything to the vision. All week she had been taunted relentlessly by the visions, both awake and asleep. She tried her hardest to ignore them, but the more she ignored them the harsher the visions became.

"I'm surprised you haven't spread your legs for him yet," Future Rogue said disgustingly, "Not that he would be interested in weak trash like you."

Lucy felt her blood boil, because of how candidly Future Rogue spoke of his former guild mate. She had to remind herself that he wasn't really there, but that didn't mean that it didn't affect her.

"Hey, I am talking to you—you worthless trash," Future Rogue sneered at her before he stepped in front of the doors that led to the library.

Lucy's body began to tremble and she closed her eyes and attempted to walk through the vision. To her relief, the vision faded but she knew it would only be a matter of minutes before the next one returned to taunt her.

After Lucy entered the beautiful and vast library, she went to the section that she ended in yesterday in hopes that she would find something she needed. She knew that she was supposed to call out one of her Silver Keys to help her in the afternoons, but Lucy shuddered when she remembered her violent dream from the night before.

The Celestial Spirit Mage felt tears start to stream down her cheeks as she recalled the violent images of her celestial friends being ripped to shreds and then faded away into oblivion along with their keys. She couldn't bear the thought of losing her friends in such a manner, because they were like her family. Even today when she had to call out Scorpio for her training, she could barely make eye contact with him because every time she looked at the Scorpion Spirit her eyes filled with tears. Lucy remembered how in her dream Scorpio tried to defend Aquarius from the shadowy figure that threatened their lives and just before he was ripped to shreds he told Aquarius that he loved her and that he didn't regret anything.

Before Lucy knew it, she was standing in front of the bookshelves sobbing heavily. She didn't want to risk the lives of her friends and yet that is what she felt like she was doing. She had no clue what she was going up against and the thought that none of them might survive weighed heavily on her conscious.

Suddenly Lucy's thoughts were pulled to the stern voice that spoke beside her, "Now do you see how irresponsible you are. You aren't meant to lead or protect anyone. If you would have done what you were told when you were younger, kept your mouth shut, and obediently married the man that I had picked out for you than none of this would be happening."

As the harsh words of the vision of Jude Heartfilia sunk in, Lucy didn't even realize that she was gripping onto one of the books so tightly that her knuckles were starting to white.

"Your mother would be ashamed of the woman you had become," Jude said with a tone that cut Lucy straight though the heart.

"Shut up," Lucy whispered out at the image.

"You are such a disappointment to us. If I would have had a son then our family would have been better off. Your mother probably wouldn't have died," Jude continued and completely ignored Lucy's plea for silence.

"SHUT UP!" Lucy screamed as she ripped the book she had been holding off of the shelf and it fell to the ground.

Before Lucy could do anything else, the figure of Jude just started to laugh and then disappeared once again.

As the vision disappeared, Lucy began to wail as she buried her face in her hands and collapsed on the floor next to the book. "I CAN'T DO THIS, I CAN'T DO THIS!" Lucy screamed out as her chest heaved heavily form the sporadic breaths that she was trying to draw in, "MAMA, I CAN'T DO THIS!"

Lucy was about to pick up the book that had fallen to the ground and throw it across the room, but then froze when she saw a little pink envelope sticking precariously out of the pages. The blonde quickly wiped her tears away and pulled the envelope out so that she could get a better look at it, because it looked so familiar to her. Lucy gasped when she pulled the paper out and saw that it was an old letter written to Mr. Yamagata from her mother and it was signed—Layla Heartifilia.

Lucy quickly opened the letter, because she had yet to read one of her mother's letters after she had married her father. Her eyes widened at the words before her:

_Dear Mr. Yamagata:_

_It has been too long since I last saw you. I hope you are doing well and that you are taking the time to eat properly. I know how involved you get in your work and I would hate to hear that you have fallen ill because you forgot something as simple as eating._

_I am doing well, but time seems to pass too quickly for me and I try to cherish every moment that I have left. I have put in this letter the most recent picture of Lucy for you. Isn't she beautiful? I never would have thought that I could love someone as much as I love her. She is so full of life and love—even Aquarius is fond of her although she would never admit it. I wish Capricorn could meet her, but I entrusted his key to a friend named Zoldeo and if Lucy chooses to walk the path of magic then Zoldeo will return the key back to my daughter._

_She really is something though, Mr. Yamagata. Her smile is absolutely breathtaking and she brings so much joy to my life and Jude's. We could not be more proud of our beautiful daughter. I look forward to the day when I can introduce you two and tell her about all of the wonderful times we have had together._

_It is my hope that she does take the path of magic though. I can already sense that she would be a strong Celestial Mage. There is just something in her eyes that tells me that she is meant for something far greater than I could ever imagine._

_I am already so proud of her as I watch her learn and grow with each passing day. It is my hope that someday when she grows up that she will find wonderful friends who love her as much as we do. Her life is only beginning and I look forward to the day when I see her become a strong, beautiful woman._

_Please take care of yourself, my dear friend. I hope to hear from you soon and I wish you all the happiness in the world._

_Love,_

_Layla Heartfilia_

After Lucy finished reading the letter, a small photo fell out of the envelope. When she picked it up, tears began to stream down her cheeks even harder. She looked at the photo that her mother had sent Mr. Yamagata all those years ago and sobbed harder when she saw her own face smiling back at her as she was positioned in her mother's arm.

As Lucy gazed at the photo into her mother's eyes, she whispered out between sobs, "Mama, please help me."

Suddenly two things happened simultaneously after Lucy asked for help; the vision of Jude appeared once again and was about to say something, but then right next to Jude stood a vision of Layla. Lucy felt like her heart had stopped as the vision of her mother stood before her in her beautiful pink gown with a kind smile on her face.

The vision of Layla bent down next to Lucy, much to the vision of Jude's anger, and her mother looked at her with her brown eyes and said, "My beautiful, sweet Lucy, please do not be afraid."

"M-Mama?" Lucy asked in disbelief as her vision blurred with tears.

The vision of Layla just smiled back at her daughter and replied, "Lucy, you have to know something about these visions."

However, Layla's voice was almost drowned out as Jude's form turned into Minerva's. Lucy tried to focus solely on her mother as Layla continued, "You can fight this magic that is working against you. It is in your control to resist it."

"The Fairy Tail trash is too weak to resist me for long," the vision of Minerva said coldly.

Lucy just gulped and continued to look into her mother's determined face as she asked, "How?"

Layla smiled back at her and answered, "You can fight it by picturing those closest to you. The magic here is unstable and it is releasing too much at once. You can manipulate its flow and fight it if you focus on who you are fighting for."

Minerva hissed at the vision of Layla as Lucy asked, "What do you mean if I focus on who I am fighting for? How are you even allowed to tell me something like that if you are just a vision too? I don't understand…"

"Right now I am here because the desire from your heart created me. Every time these visions attack you, you can fight them and ignore them if you wish it. It is because of Andromeda's true magic," the vision of Layla said with certainty.

"B-but how? What does that even mean? What is Andromeda's magic?" Lucy asked quietly as she tried to ignore Minerva behind them. The vision of the former Sabertooth Mage's voice became louder as Layla tried to explain how to fight the visions.

Layla's eyes remained locked on Lucy's as she said, "Who is closest to you? Who do you know almost as well as yourself? Who are you trying to protect?"

"Natsu, Erza, Gray, Happy…" Lucy replied.

"Then picture them," Layla said kindly.

"But what will happen to you?" Lucy asked worriedly.

Layla's smile softened as she replied, "Your memory of me is strong, but your friends are who you are fighting for. Their memories will be stronger, but I will be here if you need me."

Lucy couldn't seem to find the right words to speak. Before her stood a talking image of the most important person in her life. She had so many things that she wanted to say…so many things that she wanted to ask, but all that would come out were sobs of confusion, joy, and sadness.

The vision of Layla looked at Lucy and said kindly, "Lucy, I am not your real mother—only a vision. However, if I were your mother then I would tell you how proud I was of you and that I believe in you."

Lucy's chest began to heave from all of the emotions that she was experiencing and before she could thank the vision, the beautiful image of Layla faded before her eyes. Lucy reached out her hand towards the fading figure and then she heard an evil cackle next to her.

"Well that was absolutely pathetic," Minerva said with a smirk.

For the first time in a long time, Lucy felt a fire in the pit of her stomach. She stood up and faced the figure of Minerva and said firmly, "You cannot scare me anymore. I won't let you. I don't know how these visions work, but you should know that I am a Fairy Tail mage. I will stop what is happening on this mountain and I will protect my nakama. You are the one that should be afraid of me."

Lucy smirked as the vision of Minerva's eyes widened in fear and then the vision shifted appearances to look like Future Rogue.

The Celestial Spirit Mage just laughed and said, "That isn't going to work either. I am not afraid of you either." Then Lucy reached inside of her memories and retrieved the image of the person who had always been there for her since she had known him.

Lucy's smile widened when Future Rogue stepped back because of the pink haired vision that had entered the room next to Lucy.

"Yo Luce, it's about time you asked me for some help," the vision of Natsu Dragneel said with a confident grin on his face. Lucy couldn't help by smile at the vision of her best friend. She knew that grin all too well. It was the grin the Fire Dragon Slayer got on his face right before he said his famous line and then kicked some serious butt.

Lucy just let out a giggle, because she felt so crazy for speaking to and believing in these visions of people she knew. "Sorry Natsu, I guess I got a little side tracked for a bit. But I am better now and I am ready to fight back," Lucy said with a smile.

The imitation of Natsu just smiled wider and said, "Yeah, I'm all fired up!"

"N-no, you are supposed to be afraid of me," Future Rogue muttered out before them.

"Oi, shut the hell up you long haired freak," Natsu shouted back at Future Rogue's vision.

Then right when Future Rogue was about to say something else, the vision of Natsu yelled, "I SAID SHUT UP!" Then the Fire Dragon Slayer lunged forward and punched the vision of Future Rogue right across the face.

Lucy's eyes widened in amazement as the vision of Future Rogue looked terrified and then disappeared before her eyes.

Natsu just smirked in amusement then turned to Lucy and said, "Oh man, I was kind of hoping he would put up more of a fight."

The blonde Fairy Tail mage just busted out laughing at the vision of her best friend. She had really missed her Natsu and even though the image before her was only an imitation of her friend—it still made her feel a lot better.

Lucy reached down and grabbed the book that fell off the shelf and put her mother's letter back in it. She wanted to take them with her, but she knew she had to go find Orga first. She had to let him know that she was going to be ok.

"Oi, so Luce…just remember to think about us if you need us to fight of those stupid bastards again ok?" the vision of her pink haired friend said as he tucked his hands behind his head.

"I will remember Natsu and thank you!" Lucy said with a smile before she started to run out of the library.

Then just as Lucy was exiting the library, she heard the vision of the Fire Dragon Slayer call out to her, "BUT DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT ASKING THAT ICE-PRINCESS FOR HELP! I AM  _WAY_  STRONGER THAN HIM!"

Lucy just laughed again and she felt a huge weight lift off of her shoulders. She could do this. She could fight this.

As Lucy ran down the hall in the direction of Mr. Yamagata's study, she couldn't help but have a huge smile plastered on her face as she hugged the book that contained her mother's letter tighter to her chest. She had to thank and apologize to all of her spirit friends later tonight, but first she had to seek out and thank the wonderful Sabertooth Mage who had been her rock when she needed him the most because she had to tell him something important.


	25. Chapter 25

"Have you noticed how quiet they have been?" Lisanna whispered to Mira and Levy while she sat at the bar in the guild hall.

"I have noticed it too!" Levy whispered back quietly as she peaked her head out from around the book she had been reading.

"I haven't noticed anything too unusual. It has been pretty quiet around here," Mira said with a contemplative look as she cleaned a mug.

Lisanna looked at her older sister with a dumbfounded expression before she whispered a little louder, "Duh Mira-nee! Since when did Natsu and Happy sit around being quiet? Let alone sit by Gray and be quiet?"

The two Strauss siblings and Levy looked over at the other far end of the guild where Natsu and Gray sat alone together eating in silence as Happy sat perched up on the table eating a fish. Ever since the initial fight in the guild hall after Team Natsu had returned, the guild had been nothing but quiet…at least inside the Guild Hall—especially the Fire Dragon Slayer and the Ice-Make Mage. Even when Warren accidently spilt some drinks on the two mages the two men, that normally would have caused an entire riot, just said that it was no problem and then disappeared together.

The Demon Take-over Mage looked at the two boys in question and studied them intently. They had been acting very strange lately.

However, before the three girls could say anything else on the matter their thoughts were interrupted by a sobbing Juvia that said, "Love Rival did this to them. Love Rival left without them and now, NOW THEY HAVE BOYS' LOVE!"

Mira, Lisanna, and Levy all sweat dropped at the Water Mage's sudden burst of emotion and watched as the woman practically melted into a puddle from her own heated thoughts.

Lisanna pated Juvia's shoulder and said nicely, "Juvia, I don't think Natsu and Gray are in love with each other so you don't have to worry about that."

The Water Mage looked up at Lisanna with adoring eyes, before her demeanor changed and she asked coldly, "Is Lisanna-san trying to take Gray-sama away from Juvia? Are you Juvia's new Love Rival?"

"Juvia, I don't think you have to worry about Lisanna trying to steal Gray away," Mira said with a smile as Juvia glared at Lisanna, "Besides my little sister is dating Bickslow!" Then the beautiful bar maid got hearts in her eyes as she pictured cute little babies with purple hair and big blue eyes.

"Yeah and who would want to put that tongue of Bickslow's to waste?" Cana asked now entering in the conversation since it had gotten a little more interesting.

"C-Cana!" Lisanna screamed and her face turned bright red because she was now reminded of her earlier make-out session with Bickslow.

But the Card Mage just ignored the flustered youngest Strauss sibling when she add, "Besides I more interested in what Juvia said about Boys' Love. Those two have been awfully quiet; maybe they have come to some sort of arrangement."

"BOYS' LOVE!" Juvia screamed with her face flushed as she pictured Natsu calling Gray a cold bastard before…

But then Levy interceded after Juvia's outburst and stuttered out, "W-what do you mean some sort of arrangement?" The small bluenette was trying to hide the fact that she was slightly flustered, because she didn't normally like talking about relationships—not even with Lucy. She was trying to block her mind out from all sexual thoughts, but then a certain Iron Dragon Slayer walked into the guild hall and her mind immediately went to Pervert Land too.

Cana just took a long swig for her bottle of alcohol before she said, "The other day Gray got all pissed when Happy blurted out that Natsu wanted to tell Lucy how he felt about her."

The other women just looked at the brunette and nodded their heads from the memory before Cana continued, "Well we all know how close Team Natsu is and we all know that Erza and Jellal secretly have a thing for each other, even if they don't know it yet themselves. So now it is just Gray, Natsu, and Lucy—Happy doesn't count because he is a cat."

The other female mages just kept listening and waiting to see what point Cana was trying to make as she took another sip before she finally said, "Well if Gray got so pissed about it then he must like Lucy too. If they don't want to disrupt their team's balance then the only option they have is to share her."

"SHARE!?" Lisanna, Juvia, and Levy all screamed out at the same time.

This time the rest of the guild turned to look to see what the commotion was all about, but then went back to doing what they were doing when it didn't seem to be anything serious. Gajeel and Bickslow however both looked over at Levy and Lisanna with questionable looks that made both girls flush in embarrassment.

However, Mira and Cana were the only two that didn't seem to be flustered by the conversation. In fact Mira had a gleam in her eyes as she asked Cana, "What exactly do you mean by share?"

"Well those two guys are really competitive with each other, but at the same time they always put Lucy's needs first. What if they both confess and she can't choose?" Cana stated certainly.

Mira just nodded her head in agreement before Cana added, "Then when Lucy couldn't choose between them, Gray and Natsu would propose to share her in every way because they would rather have her than not."

"Ahhh, I see your point!" Mira exclaimed as she began to plan out possible date plans for Lucy once she returned from her mission.

However Lisanna couldn't believe that the two women would think of such an absurd thing as she whispered out sarcastically, "Yeah that sounds like what it must be…"

Levy on the other hand was still a bright shade of red from the conversation as Juvia screamed out, "SO LOVE RIVAL IS STILL LOVE RIVAL AND SHE LIKES THINGS KINKIE!"

Cana nodded her head in agreement towards the girls with a mischievous smile on her face when she added, "Exactly! I mean think about how incredible that sex would be! They are all friends already so they know what the other person's likes and dislikes are! Imagine having two hot guys pleasure your body like crazy with opposite magic too! Natsu can get all hot with her and then Gray could use his Ice to cool her down and pleasure her until she explodes into the most insane orgasm in history! GODDAM LUCY IS REALLY LUKY AFTER ALL!"

Mira started screaming and twirling around as she yelled out and wondered on which man would impregnate Lucy first, whereas Juvia was screaming in agony on the floor and both Lisanna and Levy were staring at the other three women like they were all insane.

"But that is not the only thing I am wondering about," Cana said with a slightly lowered voice that immediately got all the girls hushed as they leaned in to hear what else she had to say, "Did you guys hear about Laxus a few weeks ago; about how he went Vulcan-shit on the Sabertooth Mage that had to go with Lucy at the train station?"

The other girls just nodded their heads. The day that Lucy left the guild had been flooded with news by the citizens of Magnolia that had been at the train station. They all had heard how Laxus and Orga seemed to want to pick up where they left off at the Games before Jura had interfered; however, this time it had been the Raijinshuu that seemed to stop the two Lightning Mages from battling it out.

When Cana saw that the girls knew what she was talking about she said, "Well then there was that time during the Phantom Lord incident that Laxus asked Lucy to be his woman."

Lisanna and Juvia both gasped, but Mira remembered the conversation well. Levy had heard about it afterwards, but she wasn't sure why Cana was bringing that up now. However, Cana didn't seem to care as she continued, "What if Laxus is still interested in Lucy too? I mean none of us are blind! Lucy has big tits and is hot as hell! What guy wouldn't want to slip his dick into her?"

Lisanna and Levy looked mortified by Cana's vulgarity, but Mira and Juvia leaned in closer and just waited for Cana to continue. The Card Mage took another swig of her drink before she added, "Well in my opinion, Orga is hot as freaking hell too. I mean my god; did you not see his muscles during the games? Imagine the things he could do to a girl's body with that lightning magic too. Well what if Orga starts to fall for Lucy too and Laxus was pissed that Orga got to go with Lucy instead of him, because you know…their magic is very similar. Why couldn't Laxus have gone with her?! How hot would that trip have been for our favorite Celestial Mage? Alone on some cold, snowy mountain with no one there to comfort you except Laxus mother fucking Dreyar! But now she has another Lightning Mage there to cater to her needs! I mean I am not fond of the fact that Orga went with Lucy; he is hot and all but he is still a bastard that laughed at her, but then Lucy does have this odd way of turning enemies into friends."

Lisanna and Levy both looked at Cana skeptically. They had no idea where the Card Mage was pulling this information from, but then Juvia was the first to speak up, "Cana-san's right. Love Rival befriended Juvia first, even though Juvia hurt Love Rival during Phantom Lord's attack."

Cana just nodded her head in agreement before she added, "And she befriended Flare, who technically treated her a lot worse than Orga did."

Levy's eyes widened at the realization of everything and she whispered out, "Plus, I don't think Master would have really let Lucy go if she would have been in real serious danger with Orga."

"Wait a second!" Lisanna practically yelled at the other girls, "Cana are you saying that you think Laxus and Orga will both go after Lucy, along with Gray and Natsu too?"

Cana took a long swig of her drink before she replied, "That's exactly what I am saying! Gods, Lucy is really lucky. Imagine all of the hot sex she could have with any of those men or all of them at the same time. I am actually pretty jealous of my virgin friend now!" Then Cana took another drink and let out a slight hiccup.

This time it was Levy's turn to yell out at Cana, "Wait a second! I thought you were very against Lucy going on a mission with Orga?"

"Oh at first I was and I will admit that I am still a little miffed about it, but I know Lucy is a strong girl that can take care of herself. She was my partner in the S-Class Exams and I know just how ballsy she can be when she wants to be," Cana said with an assured nod before she added, "But I know Lucy really well and I know her charm. She is an easy person to love once you take the time to get to know her. It is easy to see why her whole team is always so quick to protect her. Hell our whole guild is…it's because we love her so damn much. I imagine that Lucy would be a rare ray of sunshine for the solemn Sabertooth Mage. Plus I think he is smart enough to know that if he touched her then he would be dead the moment he stepped off of that mountain."

Mira's head had practically exploded at all of the speculation on Lucy's love life and Juvia had torn part of her dress from biting on it in anger at the thought that Gray would indeed prefer Lucy over her. However, Lisanna and Levy were still just eyeing the other girls as though they had all lost their minds.

Then after the girls had finally calmed down a bit, Mira's eyes shown in excitement as she said, "What we need is a plan to test our theory."

Before Lisanna could protest to her older sister that there was really no evidence to back anything that Cana had been saying, the Card Mage said suddenly, "Exactly!"

"But how can we test out Love Rival's love interests?" Juvia asked out of desperation to keep Gray and Lucy apart.

The girls turned to look at Natsu and Gray again but were surprised when the two males were no longer there. Lisanna sighed in relief that her childhood friend had escaped from what she could already tell would be a stupid idea. However, after the girls saw that they could not test their theory on Gray or Natsu a new victim walked into the guild hall. A large grin spread across Cana's face and Mira looked almost evil when she saw Laxus walk in and make his way over to the bar with his coat slung over his massive shoulders.

The girls all quickly grew silent, and Lisanna secretly wanted to yell at Laxus to teleport out of here as quickly as possible, as Mira said with a bright smile on her face, "Good afternoon Laxus! Is there anything I can get for you today?"

The muscular Lightning Dragon Slayer just replied gruffly, "Get me a beer."

"Sure no problem!" Mira said before she added, "Just give me a second ok, because I will need to go get it from the back."

Lisanna watched in horror as Mira gave Cana a secret nod then disappeared to the back storage room. She looked over at Laxus who looked slightly annoyed that there wasn't a beer there already, especially since he does order the same thing every day at almost the same time.

Lisanna, Levy, and Juvia all sat perfectly still and were too afraid to move. If anyone was paying the slightest bit of attention to them, then they would have instantly known that something was up. However, Cana continued to drink and looked as calm as ever. The Card Mage looked over at the annoyed blonde Dragon Slayer and asked bluntly, "So Laxus have you heard anything from Lucy?"

The girls all watched as Laxus's body clearly stiffened and his jaw clenched tighter as the powerful Mage responded, "No. We still can't get ahold of her."

Cana saw his reaction and her smug grin only grew a little bigger. Lisanna just started shaking her head at the brunette girl to stop, but Cana ignored her when she turned to Laxus and added, "Well I wouldn't be too worried about it. After all, Orga is with her and that guy is seriously impressive. I am sure our sweet virgin Lucy's needs are being well met."

Lisanna's eyes widened when a slight spark of lightning escaped off of Laxus's hands. Both Juvia and Levy remained completely stiff, but then Mira walked out with a goofy grin on her face and then said happily, "Whoops, it looks like I forgot to take a mug back there with me. Silly me!" Then the white haired barmaid disappeared back into the storage room area again.

Laxus looked beyond pissed now and was about to storm off, but then Cana said in an exasperated tone, "Well since Lucy will be gone for at least another week, I don't think she will mind if I continue to borrow her underwear." Then the brunette held up a pair of blue lacey see-through panties and began to twirl them on her finger.

Levy eeped and yelled, "CANA, WHY DO YOU HAVE LU-CHAN'S PANTIES?!"

Lisanna watched as Laxus's stormy-blue eyes widened for a split second as he eyed the delicate female panties. Cana didn't miss the half a second change in Laxus either and the brunette looked at the Script Mage and said with a cocky tone, "Because Lucy has the best panty collection in the guild! Who would have thought that virgin Lucy would have such sexy lingerie? She probably has all of this pent up frustration just waiting to be rel-…"

"Lisanna, just tell Mira that I will get a beer later!" Laxus barked out interrupting Cana in the process before he stormed up the guild's stairs towards his Grandfather's office.

After Laxus walked into the Master's office and slammed the door behind him, Mira came running out of the storage room like a crazed fangirl and Cana yelled, "HOT DAMN DID YOU GIRLS SEE THAT!?"

"AAAHHHH! BLONDE HAIRED, BLUE EYED BABIES!" Mira was screaming as she was jumping up and down behind the bar.

Lisanna just sat in shock as she watched the events unfold around her. Her mind was trying to rationalize everything that she had just heard or witnessed, but none of it made any sense. The youngest Straus sibling then looked at the Card Mage that was celebrating her victory with another drink and asked, "Cana…how did you know he liked her?"

The brunette got a big wolfish grin on her face and held up two of her cards and said smugly, "I just had a hunch."

* * *

"Hey do you think we are far enough away yet?" Natsu asked slightly annoyed, "If we keep walking then I will start to get hungry again."

"Keep your voice down Charcoal Breath!" Gray snapped back at Natsu, "We have to get far enough away so that Laxus and Gajeel don't overhear us…or worse—Erza finds out what we are doing."

Natsu audibly gulped at the thought of Erza finding him, Gray, and Happy sneaking around behind the Guild's back. The Fire Dragon Slayer then said in an exasperated tone, "I still think we should just kidnap Levy or even Evergreen and just make them undo the boundary runes. Levy is Lucy's friend, she will understand."

"We're not kidnapping Levy or Evergreen," Gray said annoyed, "Besides Levy wouldn't want to go against what Master said."

"Then let's find Freed and beat the shit out of him until he rewrites the runes," Natsu replied as he lit his fist on fire.

"That idea does sound more tempting," Gray said as the two mages finally reached the edge of Magnolia.

The two were waiting by a tree when they heard the call of Happy above them yell, "Natsu! Gray! I got the book and no one saw me!"

"Nice work Happy!" Natsu called back.

"AYE SIR!" Happy called out in return as the Blue Exceed flew down and dropped the book into Gray's hands.

"Good now let's get started again," Gray said as he opened the pages to the old book that would hopefully help the two mages break the runes that Freed created.

Several hours later, Natsu screamed, "Goddammit Ice-Princess! Lucy has been gone over two weeks now and could seriously be in trouble!"

"Well I can't figure out how to break the runes with you acting like an idiot every two seconds Ash Brain!" Gray yelled back as he slammed the book closed.

"You wanna go droopy eyes?" Natsu asked back as he lit his fists on fire.

"Any time you're ready squinty eyes!" Gray yelled back as he iced his palms.

"You both are bakas," Happy said exasperated as he munched on a fish, "Lucy won't choose either of you."

"Oi, shut up Happy!" both Gray and Natsu yelled at the little Exceed.

Natsu and Gray turned back to each other and Natsu yelled, "Karyū no Tekken!"

However, the Ice-Make Mage dodged Natsu's famous punch which caused the Fire Dragon Slayer's fist to slam against Freed's runes. The purple ruins lit up in front of them and Gray was just about to launch an attack on Natsu when they two mages heard an extremely pissed off woman behind them yell, "WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING?"

"ERZA!" Happy, Gray, and Natsu all yelled in unison as the Fire Dragon Slayer and the Ice-Make Mage grabbed ahold of each other in fear.

But before Erza could lecture and interrogate the two idiotic males a large rumble could be heard in the distance and the ground around and throughout Magnolia shook violently.

As the grounds continued to shake Happy yelled, "IT'S ALL NATSU'S FAULT FOR TRYING TO ESCAPE!"

All that could be heard over the echoing rumble was Natsu screaming towards Erza, "Gomen-nasai, Gomen-nasai, Gomen-nasai!"

* * *

Laxus had just finished a huge stack of paperwork. He could still hear the girls below at the bar talking about his reaction to Lucy's panties and his blood boiled from how they manipulated him. He still had yet to go down and get his beer because he knew that the moment he did than Mira would be all over him asking him a hundred questions.

After a few hours, his Gramps had heard about the commotion from Mira and the little Guild Master couldn't help but enter his office and give Laxus a very pleased expression. After that, Makarov was whispering to Mavis about everything that had happened this morning, as though Laxus couldn't hear them right next to him.

As Laxus sat in the office chair finishing up the last bit of paperwork, he couldn't help but let out a low growl once it had finally been finished and he slammed the last piece of paper on the stack. He would have thought that with Natsu and Gray confined to Magnolia that some of the paperwork would go down, but it was like the rest of the guild was now making up for the damages that the Fire Dragon Slayer and Ice-Make Mage normally caused.

When Laxus was about to get up to leave, his senses told him to prepare himself for what was about to come when he heard his Gramps yell, "Laxus my boy! Now that the guild knows you like Lucy, where are you going to take her when she gets back?"

"I think he should hold her hand!" Master Mavis yelled excitedly as she got stars in her eyes and there was a slight blush covering the First Master's face.

Then before Laxus could comment on either Guild Master's idiocy, the three heard a low rumble and then felt the guild hall shake. Pictures on the wall and objects on the desk began to move and Laxus looked towards the direction from where the rumble came from. It came from the direction where he knew that Lucy was—Samui Yama.

The two Guild Masters' faces grew serious and Mavis said with a solemn tone, "So it has begun."


	26. Chapter 26

"I'm sorry," Lucy said in a sad but serious tone.

Orga remained silent, because he was unsure as to how his partner would react. The past week and a half had been some of the most trying days in the god Slayer's life. The Sabertooth Mage was quite surprised when Lucy came bursting into Mr. Yamagata's lab with a gleam in her eyes that he had not seen in her since the beginning of their mission together. Lucy insisted that he come with her immediately. Mr. Yamagata didn't seem to mind or notice really, because the elderly man had spent almost the whole time trying to get his cat off of his giant telescope. Orga wasn't exactly sure how he was supposed to "help" Mr. Yamagata with this situation.

The Lightning Mage followed his tiny partner back to the training room and waited for Lucy to explain what was going on. Orga had never cared for someone more than the blonde girl that stood before him. He started to realize that she meant the world to him and he had felt nothing but pain and felt useless at not being able to protect her from the demons that had been haunting her.

Lucy's voice shook as she tried not to cry. She knew that she had to tell him that she really was going to be ok. Lucy knew that she had to say it, not just for Orga's sake—but for her own sake as well.

"I-I'm sorry for everything that has happened since we arrived here. I'm sorry that I closed myself off to you. I'm sorry that I have let these visions get to me as much as they have," Lucy said as she choked back the painful lump she started to feel in her throat.

Orga's chest tightened with pain, but he let Lucy continue because he knew that she was not finished.

Lucy stared at the ground, because she knew that if she looked into the Lightning Mage's mesmerizing white eyes then she would lose it completely. The Celestial Mage cleared her throat and said, "Ever since I was a child I always felt happiest and strongest when I was surrounded by those that I loved. After my Mama died—I was so lonely. There were really no other children to play with. I felt unloved for the better part of my childhood; all I had were my Celestial Spirits and the servants of my Father. I loved them all dearly, even my Father, but something was still missing."

The Fairy Tail mage bit her lip for a second as the painful memories of her late Father started to surface. She could faintly see the image of her Father starting to form behind Orga and she knew that she needed to push it away, she knew that she needed to be stronger—even if it meant feeling vulnerable and opening herself up.

"When I joined Fairy Tail, I finally found nakama. I felt for one of the first times since my Mama died what it meant to love and be loved in return," Lucy stated with more vigor. The blonde could see the images of Erza, Natsu, Happy, and Gray starting to form as though to defend her from the image of Andromeda's magic.

Lucy took a deep breath and then finally looked Orga in the eyes. It was the first time she had really looked at him since the visions started. She had missed feeling close to him so much. The serious Slayer's eyes were filled with exhaustion and concern. It looked like Orga hadn't slept in days and Lucy felt a pain in her chest because she knew how much the Sabertooth Mage had stood by her side. Orga never pushed her away this past week and half, he never complained about her waking up in the night screaming because of the nightmares, he never once showed that she was inconveniencing him. Lucy felt like she was the luckiest girl in the world—she had so many people who loved her and cared for her; however, her heart leapt a little with how much Orga seemed to care for her.

"These visions were as though my worst nightmares were coming true. They were showing me and telling me over and over again how I would lose everyone I love. I-I d-don't think I could handle that kind of pain. Losing Natsu, Erza, Gray, Happy, my Spirits, my friends at my guild…and you," Lucy said with another deep breath as she continued to look at the Lightning Mage.

Orga gave his partner a faint smile. Hearing her include him made his heart swell with pride. He continued to look into her beautiful brown eyes—how much he had missed looking into her big brown orbs.

Lucy returned Orga's faint smile with one of her own and whispered, "Thank you Orga. Thank you for not giving up on me. Thank you for caring for me when I couldn't even care for myself. I would not have made it this far without you."

The Celestial Mage took another deep breath as her brows furrowed together. She started to feel a fire in her and she claimed to her new partner, "I will be ok now. I understand how to overcome these fears now. I won't let this magic take away my friends, my guild, my Spirits, Mr. Yamagata, and I certainly won't let Andromeda take you either."

Lucy grabbed Loke's, Virgo's, and Capricorn's keys and declared, "We don't have a lot of time left before Andromeda is fully unleashed, but I know I can stop her. I'm a Fairy Tail Mage and I'll be damned if anyone or anything harms the people that I love."

The Fairy Tail mage took a few steps back and with a fierce smile she summoned her three loyal spirits. Loke, Virgo, and Capricorn looked at their beloved Master with a mix of concern and happiness. They could feel that their Master was different—she had summoned three of them at once as though it were nothing.

Lucy looked at her Spirit friends with so much gratitude and said, "Thank you. I will explain everything soon, but we don't have a lot of time. Also, I'm sorry for everything."

Loke spoke for the Spirits as he adjusted his glasses and with his usual smug grin, "Welcome back My Princess."

Lucy's smile widened as she looked at the pleased Sabertooth Mage. The Celestial Mage and her spirits got in a fighting stance as Lucy said with confidence, "Orga, hit me with your best shot."

Orga's couldn't help returning his partner's and her Spirit's smiles as his black lightning started to radiate from his body. Orga looked into Lucy's bright, brown eyes and said, "Welcome back, Tiny."


	27. Chapter 27

**Several days later…**

"REGULUS IMPACT!" Loke yelled as he and Orga fought hand to hand.

The Sabertooth Mage was impressed at the tenacity of Lucy and her spirits. To say that Orga was proud would have been an understatement—especially with Loke and Aquarius. Orga and Lucy had been battling today for over two hours straight now. The God Slayer could tell that the toll of fighting so long was finally starting to show on Lucy, because she had kept out five of her spirits simultaneously throughout their mock battle. A sheer coat of sweat covered the blonde mage's body. Orga thought she looked sexy as hell with her whip in one hand and keys in the other. The God Slayer thought that one of Lucy's tactics was to distract him with her body, because the girl only wore a skin tight white tank top that didn't even cover her midriff and a tiny pair of black shorts that barely covered her ass.

Despite Tiny's appearance, Orga knew that Lucy had the strength in her. Ever since the day Lucy apologized to him and her spirits, her power grew more and more. In his mind, Tiny was one of the most gifted mages he had ever seen and as he promised he wasn't holding back on her.

Black lighting bolted around the room because Orga wasn't going to make it easy for his partner as Lucy yelled, "Aries now!"

The cute spirit uttered her usual sumimasen and shouted, "Wool Bomb!"

Orga watched as the pink wool came at him in all different directions, then he heard Aries yell, "Wool Wall!"

The training room was completely covered in the pink wool while Orga, Loke, and now Capricorn and Tauras all fought hand to hand. Her spirits were quick, fast, and insanely strong.

Right when Orga used his Charge Particle Canon ability, Loke dodge to miss the attack while an image of Juvia appeared and yelled, "WATER LOCK!"

Only for a few seconds did the God Slayer remain locked in the water bubble; however, that's all Lucy's spirits needed to disappear into the thick wool that was created by Aries. When Orga broke the seal of water lock he teleported to a clear opening in the wool mess, but he was soon greeted with a surprise.

"Pu-puuuuuun!" Plue yelled at Orga.

That half of second of shock was all Lucy needed as a vision of Happy flew over the pink wool at max speed and dropped Lucy down onto Orga's shoulders.

"GOTCHA!" Lucy yelled in excitement, "I DID IT! I DID IT! I FINALLY TOUCHED YOU!" Lucy jumped down off of Orga's shoulders and grabbed Plue in her arms and spun him around.

"Pu-puuuuuuuuun!" the dog spirit shouted out with a happy face.

Gemini who had been Happy at the time transformed back into their usual form and flew about Lucy's head yelling "Piri-piri!"

"Good water lock Gemini! Juvia might even have been impressed." Lucy said with confidence at the two floating spirits.

"Lucy-san has a nice body!" Taurus yelled as he jumped out of the wool wall.

All of Lucy's spirits were so happy for her and Orga couldn't help as a small smile appeared on his face. The God Slayer looked at his partner as her spirit's continued to rejoice in excitement and said, "Good work Tiny."

A blush spread across Lucy's face and she put her hand behind her head nervously as she replied, "Thanks Orga. I know that it wasn't technically a win, but that is the first time I've been able to lay a hand on you."

"Well, you've already done more than most people I have fought against," Orga said with a smug expression on his face, "Plus, I just couldn't bring myself to shock your little spirit."

"Pu-puun!" Plue replied to Orga as a thank you.

Lucy just rolled her eyes at Orga and jokingly said, "Yeah, yeah…show off. I know you have a soft spot for cute things—oh Great God Slayer."

"Still, you did well enough that I think you earned that extra dessert for tonight," Orga said with a chuckle as he winked at Lucy.

"Finally," Lucy sighed in relief as she laid down on the gym floor—the exhaustion of the training finally getting to her, "I want it to be covered in chocolate."

Orga just smiled and replied, "Whatever you say Tiny."

* * *

The two mages decided that they were both pretty hungry, so they went to get cleaned up after their long morning of training. Lucy thanked her spirits before they went back to their world. The blonde decided that she wanted to soak for a little bit in her glorious bath tub to celebrate her small victory. Her muscles ached from today, but it was a good ache.

As Lucy lowered herself into the hot waters of her Jacuzzi tub, she let out a relieved sigh and stared up at the sunroof to watch the snow fall. The days have grown darker and more treacherous the longer they remained on the mountain. Mr. Yamagata had told Lucy and Orga about how the magical storms were starting to ripple through Fiore. The blonde worried about her guild and hoped that they weren't too worried about her. Lucy missed her team, Mira, Levy, and Cana so much. She wished that she could tell them that she was ok. Plus, she wanted to thank her team. Thanks to the love she knew that she had from them, she was able to overcome Andromeda's visions. Sleeping again at night was so peaceful.

Lucy's face blushed again and she sunk down into the water so that it came right below her nose. Her thoughts were being consumed by her handsome partner that had helped her through everything. Lucy knew that they were on an important mission that would affect everything in the land where they lived, but she would be lying to herself if she couldn't admit that she had loved getting to know Orga. Every evening the two would spend time together. She had loved making meals with him, even though they were crappy meals picked out by Capricorn. Lucy could not wait until she could eat something fried again.

Eating with Orga wasn't the only thing she enjoyed doing. The two had become very close, even Lucy's spirits had really come to admire the Sabertooth Mage. Lucy giggled at a memory from two nights ago where Orga, Virgo, Cancer, and she tried to play Monopoly together. Virgo didn't seem to understand the rules and kept trying to go to jail because that is where she thought punishment would finally take place. But that wasn't all, even though the visions had ended—Lucy didn't feel comfortable being in her room alone at night. Orga agreed to stay with her so that she felt safe and that is exactly what she felt next to him every night—safe. Orga was a complete gentleman and his presence just reassured Lucy that everything would be ok.

Lucy just smiled at how easy being with Orga seemed to be now, but she felt an ache in her chest when she thought about the mission end. What were they going to do? How could she say goodbye to the man who had made her so much stronger?

Lucy leaned her head back up out of the water and watched as a lightning bolt streaked across the sky. Her heart began to ache more. When she returned to the guild, how was she going to face the other lightning mage in her life? How would Laxus react when he saw how much she had grown—because of Orga?

Lucy didn't know how she would handle the predicament she had made. The blonde felt an ache growing between her legs as she thought of both men. They were both incredibly sexy and strong; however, she shook the feelings off for now and doubted herself. In her mind, she didn't know why or if either man really liked her anyways.

The Fairy Tail Mage shook her depressing thoughts away and decided to get ready to go eat lunch with her soon to be former partner.

* * *

After Lucy and Orga had finished lunch, the two mages went to the library with Crux and Plue. Crux had been invaluable to their mission and had informed Lucy that they needed to find something called, "The Betrayed."

"None of my research can tell me anymore Lucy-sama," Crux told his Master as Orga pulled more books down from the shelf for Lucy, "Everything I have found regarding the mystery behind what happened to Andromeda states that "The Betrayed" can ease the wrath of the storm."

"But what is that Crux? Is it a book? Is it a spell?" Lucy asked in concern. As much as she and her spirits had grown, the truth is that none of them knew exactly what she would have to do once Andromeda's full power was released. How could she fight something that none of them entirely understood what it even was?

"I do not know Lucy-sama, but I will keep looking," Crux replied with a sad tone in his voice.

Lucy thanked her wise spirit before he went back to his world. Lucy looked at the mountain of books that Plue was now trying to climb up so that he could get Orga's attention. The blonde let out a heavy sigh and grabbed one of the books that was closest to her, pulled out her Gale-Force reading glasses, sat down, and thought how this afternoon was going to be very long indeed.

* * *

Lucy's eyes opened in a dream state. The room she was in was one that she had not seen for a very long time—it was her childhood bedroom.

The blonde looked behind her when she heard, "Mama, tell me a scary story!" a young Lucy squeaked out as a storm raged on outside of their mansion.

"I don't think that's a good idea my sweet girl," Layla said as she pulled the blankets up around Lucy.

"Mama," the real Lucy whispered as she watched the two visions interact. This was not a memory Lucy had as a child. She would have remembered something like this.

"PLEEEEEEEEAAAASEEEE, Mama!" Young Lucy begged, "I'm brave, I can handle it!"

"Very well my sweet girl," Layla said with a smile as she finished tucking her daughter into bed, "I will tell you the story of the gray Wolf—Lupus."

"Lupus?" young Lucy asked with a tilt to her head.

Lucy was curious at what the vision of her mother was saying to the younger vision version of herself. The blonde walked over to see her mother's face and waited to hear what would happen.

"Yes Lupus, a long, long time ago there was a lone, wild wolf named Lupus. He was the greatest wolf the world had ever known; however, unlike most wolves Lupus chose to travel alone. The wolf did not trust anyone else after he had watched his parents die when he was just a pup. Also, Lupus did not travel with other wolves in order to keep them safe, for you see, Lupus was known by every hunter in the land. They constantly sought him out in order to become the greatest hunter in the world. The hunter that took down the ferocious wolf."

"The little wolf had no parents and people wanted him dead!?" Young Lucy cried out, "That's terrible!"

Layla looked at her daughter with sad eyes and said, "Yes it is. Do you want me to stop the story?"

Young Lucy shook her head stubbornly no and Lucy couldn't help but smile at the younger version of herself, it seemed like something she would have done as a child.

Layla nodded her head and continued, "One day, when the wolf had come of age, he came across a beautiful lake. The lake was home to the fairies that lived there and when Lupus looked across the lake, he saw the most beautiful human female he had ever seen."

Young Lucy squirmed under her blankets while Layla added, "Lupus had never spoken to a girl before so he asked that the fairies turn him into a human so that he could tell the woman how beautiful she was. The fairies granted his wish and Lupus from then on could chose the shape that he desired. He could be a man, or he could return to his normal wolf form."

"For many weeks Lupus and the young maiden, who turned out to be the princess of the land, would meet at the lake every day. Lupus told the beautiful princess about his adventures of living as a wolf and then she asked that he show her his wolf form tomorrow," Layla said sadly, "Lupus was nervous about showing another his true form, but agreed to meet the beautiful princess the next day in his natural form; however, when he arrived the next day…he was ambushed by 100 hunters."

Young Lucy gasped in horror, while Lucy became more and more interested in the story. Something about this story seemed vaguely familiar, but she knew that she did not hear about it from her mother.

The vision of Layla continued on, "The hunters tied Lupus down and put a muzzle on him. The young wolf wondered at how the hunters knew he would be there, but then he looked up and saw the beautiful princess walk towards him with an evil grin on her face. Lupus's heart broke as the Princess told him, 'I am a Princess and you are nothing but a wild beast. I could never love a freak like you. Your fur will be hung in the hall of my father as a testament to my family's greatness.'"

"Nooooo!" Young Lucy cried out as she reached out for her Mother, "Mama, don't let her do it!"

"Don't worry Lucy, it's not how the story ends," Layla said with a smile as she patted her daughter's head, "Just when the hunters were about to kill Lupus, an elderly woman covered with a worn out cloak emerged from the woods. All of the hunters were frozen in their spots as the elderly woman walked towards Lupus. The princess felt enraged, and commanded that he hunters kill Lupus, but the hunters still could not move. Then with one sentence, the strange woman enchanted all of the hunters and ordered them to leave and never return to the forest."

Out of instinct, Lucy moved closer to the vision of her mother so that she could hear the end of the story…something about it seemed so familiar.

Layla then said, "Once the hunters had left, the elderly woman's shape changed into a beautiful young maiden whose beauty out shown the Princess of the land. The princess fell to her knees in shock and the young Maiden said, 'You are not the one who is worthy princess. You may be fair on the outside, but your heart is uglier and more hideous than anyone else's in the land. You will return to your palace and spend the rest of your days serving others.'"

"So this woman was really special, because she saved Lupus?" Young Lucy asked completely mesmerized by the story.

"Yes she was a good person my daughter," Layla said, "Then after everyone had left the clearing, the woman freed Lupus. She told him that he should feel no shame for being betrayed by the person he fell in love with and that sometimes things happen to us so that we become stronger, wiser, and more kind to others. The great wolf told the woman that he would serve her and protect her for the rest of his days. Thus, Lupus found his first true friend in the world."

Suddenly, the images of young Lucy and Layla faded away. Lucy found herself standing in a snow covered clearing where lightning danced around. The Fairy Tail mage looked around and realized that she looked like she was in the woods that the vision of her mother had described in the story.

The hairs on Lucy's arms rose, when she saw a shadowy figure move through the trees.

"W-who's there?" Lucy asked nervously. She somehow knew it was a dream, but did not want to wake yet. She wanted to know who the figure was.

In response to Lucy's question, a large wolf the size of a horse stepped into the clearing. It's bright eyes shone at Lucy and then she heard a noise behind her. Lucy spun around quickly and saw a young man with silver hair who was holding a very old book that had gray straps that bound it together in one hand and a sword in the other.

The young man looked at her and said, "Find me Lucy Heartfilia."

"Orga!" Lucy awoke from her sleep, "Orga wake up!"

The God Slayer's eyes immediately popped open and was ready to attack anything he needed to so that he could protect his partner. However, when he looked over at his partner she was getting out of bed and trying to turn a light on. The Sabertooth mage couldn't smell any threat or sense that anything was different, but looked at Lucy and asked, "What's the matter Tiny."

"I know what "The Betrayed" is, or rather, who the betrayed is," Lucy said as she grabbed Orga's hand and started leading him out of their room and towards the library, "We have to find Lupus's key to defeat Andromeda and I know where it is!"

* * *

**The story of Lupus, I completely made up; however, one of the myths of the constellations was that the wolf was killed.**


	28. Chapter 28

Laxus took a deep breath as he leaned against the wall in his Grandfather's office. The Lightning Dragon Slayer hated how stressful the guild had been ever since Lucy went on that mission with the Sabertooth bastard. After the violent shake in Magnolia, Erza had dragged an unconscious Natsu and Gray back to the guild with a crying Happy flying above her carrying an old book. Apparently the two were trying to break Freed's rune magic with logic—as if either of those two had any logic.

When Erza brought the three back, Master Makarov called Laxus, Erza, Natsu, Gray, Happy, Cana, Gajeel, Levy, Lily, the Strauss siblings, and the Raijinshu into his office. Master Mavis looked disappointed in Natsu and Gray which made the two young men feel very foolish and Master Makarov decided to call Sting on the communication lacrima.

"Master Sting," Makarov said with a serious voice, "Have any of your members been in touch with Orga or Lucy yet? Has Yukino heard anything from the spirit's world?

The young Sabertooth Mage let out a defeated sigh and replied, "Sorry Master Makarov, we haven't heard a damn thing. A lot of us are starting to get worried. I just sent Rogue, Yukino, and Frosch to Shirotsume, because apparently the people of the town are temporarily evacuating, except for a few stubborn old fools, because the town has fallen into chaos."

Master Makarov let out a heavy sigh and Laxus's jaw tightened when his Grandpa said, "Master Sting, if it is ok with you, I will send Laxus, the Raijinshu, Erza, and Cana to help your members. Lucy and Orga's mission should be complete any day now and if something goes wrong then Rogue and Yukino might need all of the help they can get."

Sting agreed, but before the Sabertooth Master left, Master Makarov added, "Sting…it is imperative that no mages should enter the mountain until we hear from Orga or Lucy. If I am right about what is happening, then if anyone other than Orga or Lucy steps foot on that mountain then they will die."

Sting looked at the Master of Fairy Tail with a solemn face and agreed to relay the message to Rogue and Yukino and wished the others meeting his guild mates a safe trip.

The Master of Fairy Tail then turned to his children and said, "As you heard, Laxus, the Raijinshuu, Erza, and Cana will travel immediately to Shirotsume. Gray, Natsu, and Happy—as punishment for not following orders you will remain here. You will always be with a member of the Strauss family, Gajeel, Lily, or Levy and you will continue to help around the guild. You will not leave this guild until I say otherwise. If you fools would have succeeded in breaking Freed's rune, you would have risked the lives of Lucy and Orga—not to mention gotten yourselves killed in the process."

Laxus could sense the Natsu and Gray's nerves and smell their fear—not for themselves, but for their beautiful teammate. For the first time, Laxus couldn't really blame them for wanting to disobey orders. After Magnolia shook, Laxus wanted to go to Samui Yama as fast as possible to get Lucy the hell out of there. The Celestial Mage was so important to all of them and if something were to happen to her—or if Orga failed to protect her, then the guild would be devastated and Laxus wasn't sure how they would recover. How he would recover…

Natsu, Gray, Happy, the Strauss family, Gajeel, Lilly, and Levy were then excused from the Master's office. Master Mavis then looked at Laxus, Erza, Cana, and the Raijinshu and said, "As you heard number three say, none of you are allowed to go onto the mountain. You will remain in Shirotsume until you hear from us or you hear from Lucy or Orga. If you disobey, all of Fiore will be destroyed. Have faith in Lucy and have faith that she will return to us."

The Raijinshu, Erza, and Cana swore to Master Makarov and Mavis that they would obey orders and then they agreed that they would meet at the train station and head out in one hour. As Cana, Erza, and the Raijinshu were exiting, Master Makarov said, "Laxus, wait here for a moment."

The Dragon Slayer closed the door behind his guild mates and asked, "What is it Gramps?"

Master Makarov looked at Laxus with a sad smile and said, "I know that this will be hard for you, but promise me that you won't go onto that mountain. No matter what happens."

"I won't go," Laxus said stubbornly.

"No," Master Makarov said firmly, "You will promise me before you leave Laxus."

Laxus could sense fear in his Grandfather's voice and could smell the scent of salt. The Dragon Slayer looked at is grandfather and saw that tears were forming in the old man's eyes. Laxus let out a sad sigh and replied, "I promise that no matter what, I won't go on the mountain Gramps—even if it means that I have to ask Freed to write runes around me."

"Thank you my boy," Master Makarov said as he wiped some tears from his eyes, "I know this will be a test for you and I wish that I didn't have to send you when I know how much you care for Lucy, but you and Erza will be needed to help Rogue and Yukino and you are the only one who would be able to stop Erza as well. She loves Lucy as though they were sisters. But like Number One said, Lucy will return. We just need to give her the chance to succeed."

Laxus nodded his head and said, "I will follow your instructions and trust your judgement Gramps. I'll also keep Erza safe—even if it means from herself."

"That's my boy. Please be careful Laxus," Master Makrov said before he grabbed his grandson and started crying like a baby.

The Dragon Slayer couldn't help but let out a smile at the old man's antics. He loved his grandfather so much and even if it killed him, he would never disobey the man's orders again, because he couldn't bear the thought of disappointing his grandfather like he once did. Laxus said his goodbyes and teleported to his house so that he could gather his things and meet his guild mates at the train station.

* * *

The Fairy Tail members made it to Shirotsume late in the evening the next day. Laxus could smell only a few humans still residing in the town; however, an overpowering smell of dark magic that resembled sulfur clung to the air so heavy that it made Laxus cough.

"What's wrong?" Freed asked Laxus in his usual serious tone.

"It smells like there has been some real fucked up magic taking place here," Laxus told the others, "Freed, start securing the town with runes and Cana go help him. Bickslow and Ever, make sure the town doesn't have any unwanted visitors. Erza and I will find Rogue and Yukino."

The Fairy Tail members agreed to the plan and split up, it didn't take long for Laxus to find Rogue and Yukino because Rogue could also smell that the Fairy Tail mages had arrived.

The four plus Frosch met outside of an almost nearly deserted inn, and Yukino welcomed them with her soft voice, "Erza-san, Laxus-san, it is good to see you both."

Erza nodded at the two mages and replied, "It is good to see you again too Yukino, I hope all has been well."

Yukino nodded and smiled at Erza; however, Laxus wanted to get straight down to business, "So what is the situation here?"

Rogue sensing that Laxus was already on edge stated, "As you can see nearly the entire town has evacuated already. The innkeeper here and his wife remain with a few other merchants in town. Apparently, there have been strange occurrences happening throughout the town while we have been here."

"What kind?" Erza asked as she eyed their surroundings.

Rogue replied, "The townspeople said that the people started leaving after nearly everyone was having nightmares and visions about things in their past, seeing people that they knew to be dead, or fears that they had. It was causing quite a panic, because it was as though the entire town were hallucinating. Fights and riots were breaking out because of the chaos. Also, even though they have not attacked the city yet, I can smell hundreds of Vulcans on the mountain. It as if they cannot leave."

Laxus looked towards the base of the mountain and could smell the overwhelming stench of the Vulcans too. The Lightning Dragon Slayer's brows furrowed together because if those Vulcans suddenly left the mountains, it would be difficult to keep them from destroying the entire town and for someone to not get hurt.

"How are the innkeeper and his wife still here then and some of the other citizens?" Erza asked the two Sabertooth mages.

Yukino responded and her body started to tremble, "Apparently it doesn't affect everyone, but some people it does."

The Shadow Dragon slayer pulled Yukino closer to him, because the Sabertooth Celestial Mage looked very unsettled. Laxus assumed it was because Yukino had seen some of the visions that Rogue had described. Laxus remembered how he had a few nightmares about Lucy and about Minerva. It couldn't have been a coincidence, but the thought troubled him if he had those nightmares and he was so far away from Samui Yama—how long would it be before these fears spread through all of Fiore?

After the Fairy Tail and Sabertooth mages completely secured the surrounding area, they decided that there wasn't much more that they could do. Freed informed Laxus that he did place several protective runes around the town, including one to keep the Vulcans at bay. Freed then volunteered to be lookout for the first few hours, because all of them could see the storms gathering faster around Samui Yama. The mages didn't want to be caught off guard during the night.

The innkeeper told the mages that if they needed anything at all then just let them know and the family was grateful for the assistance that Fairy Tail and Sabertooth were providing. Laxus watched as Rogue assured them that some of their guild's best mages were on top of Samui Yama and were doing everything in their power to stop it.

"OH! Are you talking about that pretty little blonde and the big brute of a fellow?" The innkeeper's wife asked.

Cana immediately replied, "You've seen Lucy and Orga!?" as the brunette helped herself to an old Shirotsume vintage wine—taking the innkeeper up on his offer.

The innkeeper just laughed and replied, "Well yes, they actually stayed at this very inn a few weeks ago. Didn't recognize them at first, but the wife sure did. She loved watching Lucy during the Grand Magic Games. We were a bit surprised to see them together though—matching outfits and everything, ha!"

"They were an adorable couple," the innkeeper's wife beamed.

The mages all looked at each other in shock, except for Cana and Frosh. The little green Exceed replied to the Innkeeper's wife, "Frosch thinks so too!"

Laxus saw in his peripheral that Cana gave him a smirk before she poured herself a glass and asked the innkeeper's wife, "So did Orga and Lucy share a room or do anything exciting while they were here?"

The Lightning Dragon Slayer grew very agitated as he listened to the innkeeper's wife reply to Cana, "Unfortunately they did not share a room. I think it was because Orga was such a gentleman the whole time. They did go on a lovely date together to one of the most romantic restaurants in Shirotsume. It's where all of the couples go!"

"D-date?" Erza stuttered out as her face turned the same color as her hair.

Even Yukino and Rogue looked completely stunned by the family's revelation of their friends. Cana just let out a hoot and said something like 'That's my girl!' Whereas the Raijinshu all watched their leader to see how his reaction to the news would be.

Then to add more fuel to the fire, the innkeeper added, "Well Orga seemed to have some competition though, because all of those pretty boys showed up."

"Pretty boys?" Evergreen asked, because she knew that Laxus would want to know.

The innkeeper's wife got even more excited and told them all about how the Blue Pegasus Trimens showed up and were trying to woo Lucy. It was the talk of the town for days."

Laxus had heard just about enough of the family's story and he didn't care to hear anymore, so the Lightning Dragon Slayer asked if he could have his room key. The Raijinshu followed suit so that their leader's secret would not be discovered. However, the other Dragon Slayer in the room didn't fail to notice the increase in blood pressure from Laxus, before the rest of the mages also received their keys and everyone said their goodnights.

When Laxus entered his room, he sat his bag down and plopped down on the bed with his hands behind his head. His brows were furrowed together as he stared up at the ceiling. Listening to the innkeeper's wife talking about Lucy and Orga together just pissed him off. How would Lucy have a chance to get to know him if Orga was already that close to her—closer than he already was.

As Laxus continued to look up at the ceiling he started to realize that the room looked familiar, but why? Then Laxus remembered his last conversation with Lucy via the communication lacrima. A small smile appeared on his face as he closed his eyes at the memory. He remembered Lucy's big brown eyes staring at him, he remembered how playful their conversation was. Laxus didn't have an easy time conversing with many people, but for some reason—talking with Lucy that night just seemed so natural to him.

The Lightning Dragon Slayer also remembered how he had teased Lucy about the dream she had about him and he was still determined that when she got back that he would get the rest out of her on what the dream actually entailed. Laxus felt his chest ache a little at the memory, because he had told Lucy that he wanted to be her friend when she got back. He wished now more than ever that the little, bubbly blonde would already be back home at Fairy Tail—at home, with him.

Laxus's eyes opened, because he sensed a strange magical presence and as he opened his eyes he saw an enormous bolt of lightning streak across the sky and a deep booming thunder that shortly followed it.

"Please return to me soon Lucy," Laxus said as he laid in bed and watched the storm rage on around Samui Yama.

* * *

Laxus woke from the screams that echoed through the inn. The Dragon Slayer jumped out of bed and ran out to the hallway and yelled, "Freed what is happening?!"

"Apparently even us mages are susceptible to the visions that Rogue spoke of," the Rune Mage stated in his grim tone, "Rogue said Yukino woke up screaming and tried to fight him off, because she had a dream that their old Master had returned to Sabertooth and killed Yukino's Celestial Spirits. Cana used a dreamless sleep card on her and I wrote runes around her bed that will hopefully keep this sinister magic at bay for a while, so that the poor girl can get some rest. Rogue and Frosch are still with her."

"Yukino's not the only one," Evergreen said as she walked up to meet Freed and Laxus, "Erza is seeing things too but she won't say what. She's on edge, but holding it together—for the moment."

Laxus sniffed the air, the strong sulfur smell was back. Rogue stepped out of his and Yukino's room and he looked at Laxus with his red eye and asked, "Do you smell that too?"

The Lightning Dragon Slayer nodded his head that he understood. "Ever, you and Cana see if Erza will rest for now too. Freed, get Bickslow and meet me and Rogue outside," Laxus said as he made his way down the stairs.

The Shadow Dragon Slayer followed Laxus. The two mages were ready to attack any threat. When Laxus and Rogue walked outside the hair on the arms stood straight up. Eerie green specks of light now covered the town, but what really caught their attention was the unearthly green glow coming from the top of the mountain.

"Shit," Laxus muttered as he watched the glow grow larger and larger.

"What's happening?" Erza asked in a very grim tone as she walked out the doors.

Laxus should have known that Erza wouldn't agree to be put to sleep. The other Fairy Tail Mages joined them outside and Cana spoke up, "Fuck, I hope Lucy is ok."

Laxus could feel Erza trembling and knew that the Requip Mage could explode at any second, but then all of them froze when they saw two images appear before them. On the ground, there appeared to be a body but Laxus couldn't smell anything.

"Rogue, do you smell anything?" Laxus asked because if it were an actual person he would be able to smell them.

"No, I don't think it's real," Rogue said but went closer to examine it.

"Who is it?" Erza asked.

When the Shadow Dragon Slayer got closer, Laxus heard Rogue say, "O-Orga."

"What?!" Cana yelled as she ran to help Rogue who looked very taken aback.

"How is this possible?" Rogue asked in disbelief. The Sabertooth Mage reached out to touch his friend to find that his hand went straight through the projection.

"It isn't real," Bickslow said as he too came up to examine the lifeless looking body.

"Not real, not real," Bickslow's babies said in unison as they hovered above the image.

Then without any warning, the mages heard a massive explosion on top of the mountain.

An eerie green shockwave rippled across the sky and Laxus and Rogue could hear the Vulcans on the mountain starting to attack and kill each other. The smell of blood was almost overwhelming to them, but luckily none of their teammates could smell the foul odor.

Lightning rippled through the sky and would have destroyed several buildings in the town already if it hadn't been for Freed's runes; however, Laxus noticed that the ripple that had spread across the sky contained a sinister magic that would eventually undo Freed's runes—leaving the mages and the town vulnerable to the Vulcans.

"Everyone," Evergreen barely managed to whisper out as she pointed behind Rogue, Cana, and Bickslow.

Behind them stood a figure of Lucy. She was covered in blood and her clothes were torn to shreds. Laxus felt his blood boil at the image, but he knew it wasn't really Lucy because he couldn't smell her.

The image looked around at all of them with a haunting stare and then finally the image of Lucy locked eyes onto Laxus and cried out desperately, "Laxus, help me! Please, save me!"

"Lucy!" Erza cried and tried to run towards the image; however, Laxus stopped her.

The scarlet haired mage tried to fight him, but Laxus held onto Erza tightly as he kept his eyes on the vision of Lucy. In a pained voice, the Lightning Dragon Slayer said, "Freed, you better write some runes fast to keep us from leaving Shirotsume."

Freed walked up to his leader to help him with Erza and replied, "I am already ahead of you."

But then, another ripple of the magical lightning blasted at Freed's runes and the mages watched as the magical barriers were being undone.

"Laxus," Rogue said as the Shadow Dragon Slayer got in a defensive position.

The Lightning Dragon Slayer felt it and could smell it too, after that last magical blast, the Vucans were free to leave the mountain and were rushing towards the town. The strong Fairy Tail mage looked at his guild mates and said grimly, "Get ready to protect the town."

The mages all watched in horror as they prepared themselves for battle as hundreds of Vulcans burst into Shirotsume.


	29. Chapter 29

Lucy, Orga, Loke, Virgo, Crux, and Pyxis were taking the library apart trying to find the book with gray straps that Lucy described.

It was finally nearing dawn when Loke said, "Princess, I don't think we are going to find it today. You really need to rest."

"It's in here Loke, I promise," Lucy said with a yawn, "I know that the answer on how to find Lupus's key is in that book."

"It's quite possible Leo-sama, because Lupus's key has technically been missing as long as Andromeda's has. There are no clues to who the owner was. It was as if they never existed," Crux added in as he floated amongst the books.

Suddenly Pyxis started yelling, so everyone went to find the Compass Spirit. The spirit was dancing around and pointing at a wall that was not covered by a bookshelf; however, there was a single painting on the wall of a lake surrounded by a forest.

"That's it! Pyxis you did it!" Lucy yelled and hugged the cute spirit, making him blush, "That is the lake from my dream!"

"Hmmmmm..." Crux murmured while he studied the painting.

Orga started to grow impatient, ever since Lucy woke him his senses were heightened. He could hear the storm rage on outside and he could tell that it was worse, much worse. As much as Orga admired at how much Tiny had grown, his heart couldn't help but be troubled. What if he wasn't a good enough teacher? Could he really let Lucy face this threat alone like Mr. Yamagata said? All Orga knew was that when he looked at Lucy, he felt home and he didn't want that feeling to end.

Lucy looked over at her partner and saw the worried look on his face, so she walked over to him and slipped her arm under his crossed arm and leaned her head against his muscular bicep. The action felt so natural to her which kind of surprised her. Lucy just somehow knew that Orga wouldn't mind the physical contact, even though she still doubted in her mind that he actually liked her.

The blonde Mage let out a faint sigh while she watched Crux study the painting and then said, "Don't worry so much Orga. Everything will work out."

Sensing that their Master needed some space, Loke and Virgo moved up next to Crux so that Lucy and Orga could talk privately.

Orga let out a heavy exhale and asked, "How do you think this Lupus will help you?"

Lucy thought about that for a minute before she replied, "I'm not sure. I just know that my Mama never told me that story. I just have a feeling that Lupus was the one who sent me the message. He can help me and maybe he can help Andromeda too."

The Sabertooth Mage looked down at his partner who was still leaning against him and asked, "Help her?"

"I just have to believe that she's worth saving," Lucy admitted in a soft voice. Her chocolate brown eyes met Orga's mysterious ones. She felt her a rush of excited nerves throughout her before she added, "Isn't everyone?"

Orga melted every time Lucy looked at him like that and then just like it was instinct, Orga and Lucy turned to face each other. The Sabertooth Mage uncrossed his arms before he wrapped his right arm around Lucy's waist, slowly sliding his masculine hand down her backside.

Lucy bit her lip in excitement as she placed her delicate hands on Orga's chest and continued to stare deep into his eyes. Then breathily, Lucy whispered out Orga's name as she gently pressed herself up on her tiptoes so that she could be closer to Orga's delicious looking lips. She knew that she was acting rash, but for once she didn't care. She had no idea what was to come—all she knew is that she wanted to show Orga how he made her feel and she needed to know what she meant to him.

The Sabertooth Mage didn't keep his partner waiting. With his left hand he cupped her face, he wanted to tell her how beautiful she was to him. Not just her appearance, but her very being. She had made him see the world in a new way, how to care for someone, and how to enjoy life.

Lucy watched as Orga lowered his head for her. Still cupping her face, Orga pressed Lucy's body closer to his which elicited a faint moan from Lucy.

Their lips were about to meet when Crux shouted, "Lucy-sama! I've figured it out!"

"For fuck's sake," Lucy muttered. She was pissed. It was her own damn fault for momentarily forgetting her surroundings.

Orga couldn't help but give Lucy a smug smile. Now it was Lucy's turn to cross her arms as she stomped over to Crux. Lucy looked at her Spirits and became mortified when she saw their expressions. Loke was trying not to laugh, Pyxis was bushing widely, and Virgo just stood there with her usual blank expression.

Lucy let out a sigh and asked, "What is it Crux?"

"This is a very old and a very crude form of magic," Crux told his master, "I believe the only way to retrieve the book or find out where the book is, is for you to put a drop of your blood on the lake of painting?"

"Why my blood?" Lucy asked, slightly grossed out from the idea.

"Because it was a dark blood magic that has kept the painting here," Crux said before he added, "Think about it, have you ever noticed this painting before today? We have been in here over a dozen times and we are just now seeing this one wall with no bookshelf."

"You're right," Lucy said as she moved closer to the painting.

"Is it because Andromeda's power is growing?" Orga asked with a grim tone.

"That is very possible Orga-sama," Crux said, "And I'm sorry Lucy-sama, but the only way to continue is with your blood."

Lucy didn't look happy about the idea, but she agreed to it. Virgo then appeared with a small knife and Lucy watched as the Maid Spirit pricked Lucy's figure hard enough for blood to come out. The blonde turned towards the painting and carefully smeared her blood on the lake in the painting.

The picture in the painting began to distort and swirl as it mixed Lucy's blood into it, then slowly a new image started to form. Everyone watched carefully, ready for anything, then when the painting stopped it was a new picture of the old book with gray straps.

"That's it," Lucy whispered, "That's the book from my dream."

Then without even thinking, she reached out for it. Her hand went through the painting and she felt it. Lucy grabbed ahold of the book and pulled it towards her out of the painting. Once the book was completely out, the frame and the blank canvas disappeared as though they were never there.

Lucy looked at Crux and Orga, for the go ahead on opening the old book. When they both nodded, Lucy carefully undid the straps. Everyone held their breath as Lucy turned the first page.

"It's blank," Lucy stated in shock as she thumbed through the pages, "The whole thing is bank!"

"Lucy-sama," Crux said in a dark tone, "I believe there is another price to get to the next step."

"What kind of price?" Loke asked with worry.

"More blood," Crux said, "And I'm afraid it will have to be more than a prick."

Lucy looked at Orga who was clearly upset when he said, "Andromeda did this on purpose."

"What do you mean?" Lucy asked her partner.

"It's rather smart," Orga stated—even though it infuriated him that Lucy had to be the one who suffered, "Andromeda, or whoever did this to Andromeda, made sure that the only person who could stop them would have to weaken themselves just to get the tools they needed to defeat her."

Loke looked upset before he asked Crux, "Isn't there another way?"

Crux shook his cross-shaped head no before he said, "This magic is very old and is very precise. It is now banned in the world to use this type of blood magic, because many centuries ago it caused much strife in the world."

Lucy didn't like the idea one bit, but sighed and said, "Well we don't really have any other choice do we? Virgo can you hand me the knife?"

Virgo agreed and handed the sharp blade to Lucy. Lucy took the blade in her right hand and then held her left hand over the book. She slowly ran the cold blade's edge across her hand and winced as she cut into her flesh and watched the blood leak out onto the pages.

Once there was enough blood, Virgo quickly attended to her Master's hand and everyone watched while the blood spread itself across the pages. Lucy gulped when her blood began to form words.

"What does it say?" Loke asked.

"It wants me to read a passage out loud," Lucy said while her eyes glanced over the passage.

"What will happen once you do?" Orga asked as he crossed his arms again.

"It doesn't say," Lucy said as her voice cracked.

Lucy looked around at all of her friends and then looked at Orga and said, "I have to do this."

The Sabertooth Mage didn't like it one bit, but he looked into Lucy's worried eyes and nodded his head.

Lucy nodded her head too as though to reassure herself before she read the pages:

_The Betrayed will return when all is at an end_

_The Beauty will rage on in the land of the dead_

_Evil will reign as Time is frozen_

_Unless the True Master be chosen_

Then before Lucy could ask Crux what he thought it meant, black shadow figures burst through the pages and shrieked as they headed towards Lucy; however, Orga, Loke and Virgo intercepted the attacks. The shadows were unending and started destroying Mr. Yamagata's beautiful library.

"THE WORDS ARE CHANGING AGAIN!" Lucy tried to tell her friends as the wraiths continued their assault.

Over all of the chaos, Orga was the only one to her Lucy, because of his powers, and the Black Lightning Mage yelled over to Loke, "KEEP THEM OFF OF TINY!" Then Orga turned his body into lightning and began to strike through the wraiths.

"CRUX, PYXIS GO BACK!" Lucy yelled at her two loyal spirits who were no match for battle.

"I WON'T LEAVE YOU, LUCY-SAMA!" Crux yelled as he tried to fight off one of the wraiths in an attempt to keep it away from Lucy and Pyxis stood to guard Lucy's back as he swatted at one of the wraiths.

Lucy saw her blood stop once more as the words changed and dried. She knew she'd have to read them out loud again, but the piercing cries of the wraiths was almost overwhelming her senses. She looked up and saw all of her friends fighting so bravely for her. The blonde looked back down at the book and yelled the words out loud: "BETRAYED, I SEEK THEE! HELP THE TRUE MASTER SET THE BEAUTY FREE!"

Lucy's eyes widened as her blood burned away from the book and the pages began to glow. Bursts of light shot out of the book and then just as a wraith was about to overcome Pyxis, a young man with silver hair and silver wolf ears in shining armor stepped forth and cut the wraith down with a burst of light from his sword.

The wraiths all burned away and the library became silent once more. Lucy kept looking at the man when she heard Loke yell, "Lucy are you all right?"

Lucy didn't say anything as Orga reached out his hand to help her up. The blonde grabbed her teammates hand then asked the man dressed like a knight, "Lupus?"

The knight turned around and bowed. He walked over to Lucy and handed her two keys. One of the keys was silver with the celestial symbol for the constellation of Lupus and the other one was a shiny black key.

Lupus looked at everyone then said, "Yes, I am Lupus and you are the first one to have ever received my message Lucy Heartfilia. I have watched over you these past few weeks and I know without a doubt that you are the only one who can save my love."

"Your love?" Lucy asked very confused.

"Andromeda," Lupus replied with a smile.

"But my dream, with my Mama," Lucy asked, "You did that?"

Lupus nodded his head and said, "Yes, unfortunately I could also see the visions that plagued you when you first arrived because I have been in a living nightmare myself for hundreds of years. I could only watch you as the visions tormented you, but then you overcame them all on your own. You were amazing to watch and I saw how a vision of your mother was the first to free you from Andromeda's magic."

Lucy remembered that day well, it gave her hope again, but then she looked at Lupus and said, "I need to know why this happened to Andromeda? Is she doing this on her own free will?"

A deep frown fell upon Lupus's face. The Wolf Spirit sheathed his sword and responded, "The dream you had was the real story of how I met Andromeda all those years ago. For centuries, we would only serve a Celestial Mage if we went together because after that day, I vowed my life to her and after that we fell in love."

"Is that why you are in the knight getup?" Loke asked the handsome spirit.

"Indeed," Lupus replied, "However, I can still use my original wolf form that I showed you in the dream."

Lucy just nodded and waited for Lupus to continue. Lupus then asked Lucy and Orga, "I believe that Mr. Yamagata told you on your first night here about how Andromeda's magic is only released ever 700 years?"

The two mages nodded at the memory of their first night here and then Lucy looked at Orga and thought about how much everything has changed since then.

Lupus continued, "The actuality is the occurrence has only happened twice before this. The first time is when Andromeda was imprisoned and the last time, the event remained secluded to this mountain."

"Imprisoned?" Orga asked as his brows furrowed together.

"Yes, you see…over 1400 hundred years ago Andromeda and I belonged to the same owner. He was a good Master at first, but then his magic started to consume in. Then one day our owner fell in love with a beautiful woman who could control lightning."

Orga and Lucy looked at one another as Lupus added, "Andromeda's beauty was known throughout the lands and the Lightning Mistress grew jealous of Andromeda because our master favored her above everyone else. Our master assured the Lightning Mistress that there was nothing going on between Andromeda and him; however, one day he sent me out on a mission. When I returned, the Lightning Mistress had just come to our home—when we walked in my Master was forcing himself onto Andromeda, after he had stripped her naked and beat her, because he said that he was her Master and she had to do what he commanded."

Lucy gasped in horror and Lupus started to stare at the ground—no longer able to look at the Celestial Mage before him. The Wolf Spirit took a deep breath and continued, "To this day I can still hear my beloved screaming out to me for help and on that day, my anger got the best of me and I plunged my sword through my master's heart, I immediately became cursed after that because I broke the most sacred rule of a Celestial Spirit. Then out of hatred for me and my beloved, the Lightning Mistress teleported all of us—including the dead body of my late-Master and prayed to the gods for vengeance. When a god answered her, the Lightning Mistress slew the God and created her version of God Slayer magic so that she could become strong enough to hold the spell. Then the Lightning Mistress used her very life to seal Andromeda into a cursed state that only caused destruction, because the woman still believed Andromeda was to blame for our Master's actions. But before she imprisoned Andromeda and because I was the one who killed her lover, the woman locked me away with blood magic so that I would be tortured for my crime for hundreds of years and watch as Andromeda became full of hate—instead of what she is, love. The lighting mistress wanted the world to feel her pain and betrayal, which is why if we don't stop Andromeda then everyone in this land will turn against each other and be consumed by hate. Parents and children will turn against each other, lovers will, and friends. The world will destroy itself."

Lucy looked at Loke who had grown very solemn during Lupus's story. The Lion Spirit and Lucy knew all too well the severity of Lupus's actions—even if it was to save the woman he loved. Lucy looked at Lupus with tears in her eyes and said quietly, "I'm so sorry Lupus."

The Wolf Spirit looked very confused, but Lucy's spirits understood their Master's behavior. Lucy walked over to Lupus and grabbed his hand before she said, "Lupus, I am sorry that you and Andromeda were treated so harshly by your Master. He should not have forced himself on Andromeda, because that goes against everything a Celestial Mage stands for. I promise you that we will save Andromeda—together."

Lupus looked at Lucy then to her spirits. They all nodded their heads and smiled as though welcoming him to their family. Lupus turned back to Lucy and got down on one knee, he pulled out his sword and presented it to her and said, "Lucy Heartfiia, I give you my sword and my key. Please allow me to serve you as one of your faithful spirits."

Lucy just smiled and helped him up before she replied, "Lupus, I would be honored to hold your key and be your Celestial Mage, but never think of yourself as my servant. You are my friend now and are a part of our family and Fairy Tail mages look out for their family."

The Wolf Spirit was at a loss for words, so he just nodded to his new Master and to his new fiends before Lucy asked, "So how are we supposed to help Andromeda?"

Lupus pointed to the black key that he had handed Lucy and said, "That key belongs to Andromeda. I took our keys off of our Master after I killed him. It became cursed after the Lightning Mistress locked her away. I think the way to defeat her is that we have to remind her who she is."

Lucy wasn't 100% sure that Lupus's comment was even an idea, because her mind was heavy from the exhaustion of being awake almost the whole night, but nodded her head in understanding. Then the blonde turned to Orga and yawned, "Well, are you ready to train?"

Orga just chuckled and said, "No, you need to get some sleep."

Lucy just yawned again and replied, "But I'm all fired up."

Orga just shook his head and grabbed his partner's hand and lead her out of the nearly destroyed library. They would definitely have to clean that up later. As the two mages were leaving, her spirits promised to take care of Lupus in their world and with a flash they left.

Lucy and Orga made it back to Lucy's room and Lucy threw herself down on her gigantically soft bed. Once Orga laid down next to her, Lucy looked at him with a worried expression and asked, "Orga, do you think it will really be that simple? Making Andromeda remember who she is?"

Orga's brows furrowed together and the solemn Mage replied, "I don't know if I would consider that easy, but it does sound complicated."

Lucy just nodded her head and closed her eyes. Her hand reached over and grabbed Orga's before she said, "Either way, I know I will be fine now…thanks to you, Or-chan." Then Lucy let sleep wash over her.

Orga held onto Tiny's hand as he leaned his head back against the headboard and looked up at the ceiling. Because of his magic, Orga could tell that the storm was reaching its climax and the Sabertooth Mage knew that it wouldn't be long until his beautiful and brave partner had to save all of Fiore.

* * *

"LUCY! ORGA! MY FRIENDS! WHERE ARE YOU?!" Mr. Yamagata yelled as he ran down the hallway were Lucy and Orga were residing.

The Sabertooth and Celestial Mage woke up and their eyes widened in horror as they looked out the window. An unearthly green glow lit up their surroundings and the lightning danced around outside as though it were alive.

"Orga," Lucy whispered in horror at the sight, "How am I supposed to fight that?"

Mr. Yamagata then ran into Lucy's room and yelled, "SHE'S HERE! ANDROMEDA'S HERE!"

Just as the old man yelled out to his friends, a dark image of a woman appeared outside of Lucy's room on the mountain. The corrupted version of Andromeda was dripping in black ooze and her eyes were glowing green with vengeance in them. Andromeda pointed at Lucy and Lucy felt frozen in fear as the figure screamed out, "YOU WILL DIE HERE CELESTIAL MAGE! ALL CELESTIAL BEINGS WILL DIE BY MY HAND!"

Then with the flick of her wrist, Andromeda sent out a green shockwave that shook the entire castle and shattered the glass that stood between her and Lucy.


	30. Chapter 30

**Finally is a chapter that has been in my mind ever since I first created this story. I feel incredibly lucky that I am even able to write it for everyone. Thank you**

**to everyone who has been with me since the beginning and sticking with me and to those of you that have joined us on this adventure.**

**Please Enjoy!**

* * *

Lucy opened her eyes because she had been thrown back by the shock wave. Orga and Mr. Yamagata were next to her and Mr. Yamagata was holding a peculiar device in his hands.

The Celestial Mage looked up as Andromeda let out a blood curdling scream and cried, "YOU CAN'T AVOID ME FOREVER!"

"My friends! I must retreat for your own safety. My protective shield will not last much longer and at this distance I would immediately turn against you because of Andromeda's magic. I have put one around you two as well, but it will not survive another blast like that last one," Mr. Yamagata stated to Lucy and Orga as Andromeda reeked utter havoc around them, "I love you both dearly my friends and I know you will be ok! Remember Lucy you have the strength to beat her and you are the only one."

Then Mr. Yamagata disappeared. Lucy saw that the protective shield was starting to fracture. She quickly grabbed her keys and asked, "Orga, what should we do?"

The Sabertooth Mage had to think fast, because he could sense that Andromeda was charging up for another shockwave. "When the shield goes down, keep moving. Don't stop for more than 5 seconds or her lightning will hit you," Orga said grimly.

Lucy readied her whip and keys when Orga added, "Tiny, if I was your teammates then I would probably give some lame speech and try to defeat Andromeda on my own so that you don't get hurt."

The blonde took a deep breath as she looked at Orga because she knew that he was right. If her team or her guild mates were here right now and they knew just how bad Andromeda wanted to kill her, then they would make her leave and try to defeat Andromeda on their own—just like Natsu made her leave when Future Rogue was there. It made her feel weak. She was tired of feeling weak.

"However, I am not your team or a Fairy Tail Mage," Orga stated with a grin, "I will do my best to aid you but I understand how it has to be you to stop her. So what I want to say is, I believe in you."

Orga's eyes met Lucy's and her heart felt like it could explode by what he said and she knew that she would have to tell him later what his words had meant to her. But before she could say anything, Orga grabbed her face with his strong hands and crashed his lips down onto hers.

His kiss was filled with so much passion that Lucy immediately returned the gesture. Her heart was pounding and she could feel adrenaline rushing through her body in preparation for what was to come and she could feel every ounce of Orga's feelings for her—everything they had gone through together in that single perfect moment.

A single tear leaked from Lucy's eye as Orga pulled away from their kiss and it hit her how much he cared for her and how much she cared for him. Then Orga got into a defensive stance and looked at Andromeda as he said to Lucy, "Now, get ready to kick her ass Tiny."

Lucy nodded and wiped her tear away because she had a job to do. She looked down at her keys and sent a message to them through her mind, " _My dear friends, I need your help_."

Loke, Lupus, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Capricorn came to her aid. Virgo handed Lucy and Orga coats since they could not reach their own. But Lupus's eyes widened in horror when he saw his old love and Lucy's heart ached for him. Andromeda turned to look at them and screamed, "LUPUS! I'M GOING TO KILL YOUR NEW MASTER RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU AND THEN DESTROY YOU!"

Orga ignored the vengeful spirit and said, "She's about to hit us again, remember keep moving. I will try to deflect the lightning."

"Hime-Sama allow me," Virgo said as she picked up Lucy, "I will keep it from hitting you."

"We can feel it," Loke said, "We can feel Andromeda's celestial magic. It is still there, but faint."

Lucy looked at Lupus and said, "We will get her back."

Lupus nodded in response and readied his sword as Orga yelled, "Now!"

Andromeda screamed and sent out another shockwave, shattering the protective shield. Lucy's lungs were suddenly hit with a rush of freezing cold air as snow and lightning swirled around them.

Loke, Capricorn, and Sagittarius immediately rained down their attacks onto Andromeda. However, their attacks did nothing to her. She looked at the Celestial Spirits and just said, "Pathetic." The she formed a black ball of energy in her hand and shot it at them, but Lupus's sword cut right through her magic.

Andromeda screamed in anguish when Lupus's sword began to glow a bright white. The wolf spirit looked at his love and said, "I swore to you that I would serve and protect you—even if it means protecting you from yourself!"

Lucy watched as Lupus yelled out his attack, "WOLF'S FANG!" Then a shockwave of white light burst from his sword and slashed Andromeda's shoulder.

This gave Lucy enough time to test her strategy as she called out Taurus and Scorpio to replace Sagittarius and Capricorn. Without hesitating Scorpio yelled, "Snow Buster!" Using the snow around them instead of his usual sand and then Taurus yelled out, "Snowstorm Axe!"

Because of the confusion of the snow, Lucy grabbed Andromeda's black key to try and remind Andromeda of who she was as Orga shielded her from the lightning and Virgo moved for her.

Lucy held on tightly to Andromeda's key and yelled, "GATE OF THE CHAINED LADY, CLOSE!"

Andromeda sent out a blood curdling scream that made everyone have to cover their ears and Virgo accidently dropped Lucy in the process. Lucy landed on the ground hard, but she ignored the pain because her plan had worked. Andromeda's key didn't send her back right away, but Lucy knew that if she kept trying she could send Andromeda back to the Spirit World where she would be free from her imprisonment and remember who she was.

Then Lucy's eyes widened in fear…she had stopped moving for too long. The demented spirit turned to Lucy, her real prey, and shot a deadly bolt of lightning straight for Lucy; however, Orga was faster and blocked the attack and began to eat the lightning.

But then Orga dropped to his knees and hands and began heaving like he was in great pain.

"Orga!" Lucy yelled as she saw his body start to shake.

Andromeda started to maniacally laugh and said, "Is my lightning too dark for you, God Slayer? I think you will like it more in a second."

Orga's body continued to heave up and down and he choked out, "Lucy, you have to knock me out."

Loke immediately jumped in-between Lucy and Orga, because he could sense Orga was changing.

"Orga what's wrong!?" Lucy yelled as Virgo grabbed her and started to move again.

Andromeda looked at Orga and her eyes changed from green to a glowing purple as she seductively said, "Orga, kill Lucy."

Orga yelled and his black lightning began to radiate off of his body as it mingled with Andromeda's twisted lightning.

"You won't be able to resist me forever, Orga. Once you kill Lucy, you and I can be together forever," Andromeda purred as her eyes continued to glow purple.

"Lucy please. I can't fight it too much longer," Orga tried to call out.

Lucy's eyes filled with tears and she silently sent Scorpio back and called Gemini out, using her keys to secretly tell Gemini what to do.

Lupus came up behind Andromeda and yelled out another attack, "WOLF'S BITE!" His white sword slashed upward but Andromeda deflected the blow.

The demented spirit called out to Orga again and said, "Orga, kill Lucy now!"

Lucy watched in horror as Orga's beautiful white eyes turned to purple as though he were in a trance. Orga turned to Lucy and Virgo and lunged for them, but Loke intercepted to defend them.

Andromeda just laughed as Loke and Orga fought one another, thus dividing Lucy and her spirits in the fight.

Orga began to charge his body for a massive attack and Lucy knew that if it hit her then she would die; however, it was already too late. She outsmarted them. Lucy looked at her possessed friend and whispered, "I'm sorry Orga."

Possessed Orga and Andromeda stopped as they heard the final words of Gemini, transformed as Lucy yell out, "URANO METRIA!" The little spirits had come out but hid so that they could recite the lines to the spell without interruption while Andromeda's and Orga's attacks were focused on the real Lucy.

Just as Gemini yelled out Urano Metria, Lucy yelled out, "GATE OF THE CHAINED LADY, CLOSE!"

Gemini's attack and then a Regulus Impact from Loke, sent Orga flying back, knocking the Sabertooth Mage out—thus allowing Lucy to focus on Andromeda alone.

Lucy felt a huge drop in her magical energy at keeping so many spirits out and then using just Gemini to cast Urano Metria by themselves, but she wasn't done yet.

Andromeda's body began to convulse as she screamed on the ground from the celestial attack and the attempted gate foreclosure. The mountain shook around Lucy and she and her spirits tried to brace themselves from the tremors.

"This isn't over yet," Andromeda said as she sneered at Lucy. The corrupted spirit's eyes had once again turned green as she continued, "While you've been here playing with me, my power has already unleashed on Fiore. Your friends in Shirotsume will soon me dead."

"My friends?" Lucy asked in confusion. She hadn't had any contact with the outside world so she didn't know what Andromeda was talking about.

"See for yourself," then Andromeda cast a vision before them and Lucy gasped in horror.

_Shirotsume was on fire as Vulcans ransacked the town and then Lucy saw scarlet hair and her heart ached when she saw Erza on her knees clutching her sword and trying to gasp for air. The requip mage gathered her strength and used her Heaven's Wheel Armor to stop ten of the Vulcans at once, but just as she defeated ten—another ten took their place._

"Erza!" Lucy cried out towards the vision.

_Then Lucy heard Cana scream, "ERZA!"_

_But then Lucy saw yellow lightning striking down around Erza and electrocuting the Vulcans that were attacking the scarlet haired woman. Lucy's eyes widened when she saw Laxus. He was strong and powerful, but had a huge gash over his left eye and he said, "Get ready Erza, there's more."_

_Erza nodded and requipped into her Clear Heart Clothing and readied her katanas as more Vulcans descended onto them._

Then the vision faded away.

"They won't last much longer," Andromeda began to laugh as she spat out black ooze from her mouth, "More Vulcans are on their way. What can less than a dozen mages do to hold off my army?"

Lucy's body shook in anger. Anger for Orga. Anger for Erza. Anger for Laxus. Even anger for what happened to Andromeda all those year ago.

Virgo sat Lucy down as Lucy clutched onto her keys and sent Loke, Virgo, Gemini, and Taurus back to their world. Lupus walked up beside her, but he was no longer in human form. He had returned to his original form. He stood taller than Lucy and let out a howl that pierced the sky and made Andromeda fall back down to her knees.

The Celestial Mage's eyes began to glow a bright golden color as she finally responded to Andromeda's question, "Less than a dozen Fairy Tail Mages can take on hundreds of armies because we don't give up. You will pay for hurting Orga and for hurting my friends. And I will make you remember who you really are."

The ground on the mountain beneath Lucy and Andromeda began to glow the same golden color as Lucy's eyes. She had sent back her other spirits because she needed her strength to perform a spell that she had never tried before that she had found in Mr. Yamagata's library. She had memorized every word of it, because she had found the spell when she was looking through all of those old books and found one that her mother had circled and next to it, in her mother's hand writing it had said, " _This one will cleanse evil_.  _Only the most powerful Celestial Mage can perform this_."

Lucy took another step towards Andromeda and the corrupted spirit began to scream out in fear as Lucy recited the spell's incantation quietly. The lightning and the clouds of the storm began to disappear as the spell began to wash away Andromeda's corrupt magic. Then the sky opened up with thousands of stars shinning down upon them. Andromeda looked up at the stars in fear as they began to glow brighter and brighter.

Then the world seemed to stop.

Lucy saw the snow remain frozen in the air and could see her breath stilled in front of her. She looked into Andromeda's eyes and recited the last line of the spell: "Judicium Stellarum!"

The golden glow of the earth was swallowed by the stars falling from the skies, cleansing the corrupt magic and erasing it from existence.

Lucy could hear Andromeda screaming and writhing beneath her as the black ooze was being ripped away from the Celestial Spirit's body and being incinerated.

Lupus began to fade back into the spirit world, because Lucy was barely holding on and as her body started to fall from exhaustion, she breathed out, "Gate of the Chained Lady, Close."

Then Lucy's eyes closed and her body fell into the snow.

* * *

 

**Judicium Stellarum is a rough Latin translation of Judgement of the Stars. I made it up and used Google Translate to help once I figured out what I wanted the spell to be called in English**

 


	31. Chapter 31

Orga felt a searing pain on the back of his head as he tried to lean forward. The last thing he remembered was blocking an attack for Lucy. The mage slowly opened his eyes when he felt every hair on his body stand straight up. His eyes widened when he saw Lucy standing over Andromeda and reciting the words to a spell that she had never used around him.

He watched as the sky's opened up and revealed thousands of stars and the earth began to glow gold. The amount of magic that flowed through the air was incredible and terrifying. He smiled and whispered, "I knew you could do it Tiny."

Then he watched as Lucy said, "Judicium Stellarum!"

A brilliant shockwave was sent out and Andromeda writhed on the ground screaming in pain.

Orga watched Lupus vanish and the Sabertooth Mage tried to move towards Lucy as she faintly said, "Gate of the Chained Lady, Close."

Orga tried to reach Lucy in time, but his body felt off and the world was still spinning. He watched as Andromeda screamed one last time and disappeared.

The lightning had completely vanished and there was no more magical presence surrounding the castle. Tiny had done it.

The Lightning Mage reached Lucy and picked her exhausted body up from the snow. He made sure that she had all of her keys and his eyes focused on the new silver key that Lucy clutched in her hand and he couldn't help but let out a weak and pained smile. He sighed in relief when he heard the slow but steady pace of her breathing as he started to head back to the castle.

He looked around and saw that most of Lucy's room had been destroyed from Andromeda's shockwaves. He knew that he needed to get her somewhere out of the cold, especially since he could smell blood on the back of his own head.

Suddenly before him appeared Mr. Yamagata who yelled, "YOU DID IT!"

"She did," Orga replied as he looked down at his beautiful, sleeping partner, "Where can we rest?"

Mr. Yamagata motioned for Orga to follow him and he led the mage down another hallway with Lucy still fast asleep in his arms. They entered a room that would serve them just fine; there was a large bed where Orga gently laid Lucy down, a large fireplace that Mr. Yamagata had lit for them, and a chair so Orga could watch over Lucy.

"This is the honeymoon suite," Mr. Yamagata snickered out.

Orga just shook his head, because he was too tired to care at the moment about Mr. Yamagata's strange fantasies.

"Now, let me see your head Orga and tell me what happened," Mr. Yamagata said as he carried over a first aid kit to attend to Orga's wounds.

The Sabertooth Mage told Mr. Yamagata everything that he had remembered from the battle, but said that he would have to ask Lucy or Loke for the bits that he didn't remember.

Mr. Yamagata was beaming with pride as he finished putting a bandage on the back of Orga's head and said, "Layla would be so proud. Lucy is quite the extraordinary young lady."

Orga looked over at Lucy who looked so peaceful with her golden hair sprawled out on the pillow and clutching her keys close to her face. He took a deep breath and sighed out, "Yes she is."

Mr. Yamagata couldn't help but twirl around at the turn of events. However, when the Sabertooth Mage turned to look at him to see what the old man was doing, Mr. Yamagata stopped and then just laughed. The elderly man packed up the medical supplies and sat them on a dresser in the room and said, "Well, you and Lucy need to rest here for tomorrow to regain your strength. Also, we need to have a celebration before you both go back to your guilds and I have to give you your rewards."

Orga's brows furrowed together when he realized that soon he and Lucy would have to go their separate ways. He wouldn't regret the kiss that he had given her and he would do it over again if he had the chance, but he knew in his heart that Lucy still possibly had feelings for Dreyar. He didn't want to always have to second guess himself and knew that Lucy would need to make the final decision—but he knew that he would wait for her because she was worth it. She meant everything to him.

Mr. Yamagata could tell that his young friend was troubled so he went up and patted his back, "Don't worry too much my young friend. From what I have witnessed between you and our sweet Lucy, she will have a special place in her heart just for you. Give it time. I have no doubt that you will fight for her and she will notice."

Orga just let out an amused huff before Mr. Yamagata added, "Oh, by the way! You should be able to contact your guilds now which you should probably do right away. I'm sure they've been panicking since they have been cut off from you. However, Lucy's teammates are still not ever allowed here. I have a big enough mess to clean up thanks to Andromeda and I don't need her team bringing down my castle in the process."

The Sabertooth Mage smiled at the comment then nodded his head as Mr. Yamagata added, "There is a pitcher of fresh water over there and all of your bags are over there in the corner. I will come and get you both when breakfast is ready in the morning, but for now just relax my friend and know that you both have done a wonderful job."

Once Mr. Yamagata had left the room, Orga walked over to his bags so that he could contact Sting. When he got back over to the chair next to the bed with his communication lacrima, he sat down with a sigh and it only took a second for Sting to pick up which surprised Orga since it was the middle of the night.

"ORGA!" Sting yelled in relief, "ARE YOU OK!? WHERE THE FUCK HAVE YOU BEEN! IS BLONDIE OK?!"

Orga watched as Sting's overly loud voice made Lucy groan as she tossed around on the bed to get away from the sound. The Lightning Mage already had a headache for getting hit in the head and hearing Sting's loud voice only made it pulsate more.

"I'll tell you if you please stop screaming," Orga sighed and watched as Lector's face appeared on the screen too and excitedly yelled out Orga's name.

"Sorry Orga. It's just we haven't heard anything from you in three weeks," Sting replied.

Orga nodded his head and said, "The magic that was up here had cut off our communication, but it's gone now."

"So what happened up there?!" Sting asked in excitement, "Did you save the day?"

"I don't know if I am allowed to discuss the details of the job, but I will ask the client tomorrow, and no I didn't save the day—Lucy did," Orga stated honestly.

"Blondie did?" Sting blinked in confusion before he asked, "Orga, did you know what was going on in Shirotsume?"

Orga looked confused and replied, "No."

"The town was being evacuated because everyone started having hallucinations. I sent Rogue, Yukino, and Frosh to help with the situation and Master Makarov sent some Fairy Tail members. I was about to go too with some of our other guild mates because something happened on the mountain that made a shit load of Vulcans ransack the town," Sting said with concern in his voice, "But I actually just got off the lacrima with Rogue before you called. He said that they were all fighting and losing because there were so many Vulcans. Plus he said that he, Yukino, and the Fairies started having visions too, of you and Blondie dying and calling for help. But then they said the saw the mountain top start to glow a golden color and it spread all the way past Shirotsume. Then something about tons of stars starting falling and a big rush of white light changed all the Vulcans back into the people they were originally."

The Lightning Mage couldn't help but smirk as he said, "Yeah that was Tiny."

Sting nearly dropped the lacrima and asked, "Big Tits did that? You didn't?"

Orga growled, "Don't call her that and no I did not cast that spell, she was the one who saved everyone and she saved me too."

Sting sat in silence for a moment as he studied Orga and apologized, "I'm sorry Orga. I just assumed that it was you somehow and I won't call Lucy that again."

The Sabertooth Mage ignored Sting's comment and said, "Tiny needs to regain her strength and rest. We will head down the mountain the day after tomorrow. Also, could you call Master Makarov and tell him that Lucy is safe and as soon as she wakes up I will have her call him—plus, the client still doesn't want Lucy's team up here."

"Of course Orga. Rogue and the Fairies are going to stay in Shirotsume tomorrow to help clean up the mess. I'll let them know so that they can just stay there and greet you guys the next day," Sting said more seriously before he added, "Either way, good job Orga."

"Orga-kun is the strongest!" Lector yelled in the background.

Orga just nodded his head and cut off the lacrima. He sat there in silence for a few minutes, thinking about everything before he looked at Lucy. He realized that she still had her coat on and would probably get too hot, so he carefully removed it and her shoes.

Then when he was about to go sit back down in the chair, he felt Lucy's hand grab his as she whispered, "Stay."

The Sabertooth Mage smiled faintly and then laid down next to his beautiful partner, who immediately rolled onto his chest and into his arms. He kissed her head and wished that he could stay frozen in this moment as he finally let sleep take him.

* * *

Sting sat and stared at the communication lacrima and couldn't figure out what the fuck just happened.

"Master Sting!" Lector yelled out, "What's wrong? Orga-kun is safe!"

Sting just nodded and then did as Orga asked and attempted to contact the Fairy Tail Master who he figured was probably be up because of the events in Shirotsume. It rang for a few seconds and then he saw the white haired demon appear on the screen.

Mira gave Sting a bright smile and asked, "What can I do for you Master Sting?"

"Is Master Makarov available?" Sting asked in a dry voice.

Mira nodded and said, "Just a second, he's speaking with Laxus on another lacrima now."

Sting nodded and waited until the elderly man's face appeared on the screen and said, "Master Sting, what can I do for you at this late hour? I just spoke with Laxus and I am glad that your guild members are safe."

Sting took a deep breath and answered, "Master Makarov, I just got done speaking to Orga."

He saw Master Makarov's eyes widened and Sting continued quickly to relieve the old man of any fears he might have, "Orga said that Blon…Lucy is safe and that she is resting right now. He told me that he will have her call you as soon as she wakes up."

"Thank the gods," Master Makarov commented and then asked, "Is Orga safe as well?"

Sting nodded his head and then asked, "Did Laxus tell you about what happened? With a golden light?"

Master Makarov raised his eyebrow and nodded yes. Sting was still in shock but he continued and told Master Makarov, "Orga told me that the light was entirely Lucy's doing. He said that she was the one who saved everyone—including him."

Sting saw big tears form in Master Makarov's eyes and the Sabertooth Guild Master couldn't help but smile as the old man began to cry and repeat, "My brave child."

No matter how much the Sabertooth Guild has interacted with the Fairies, Sting was always touched by their loyalty and love for each other. The Sabertooth Mage continued to let Makarov cry before he finally said, "Orga also said that he and Lucy would head to Shirotsume the day after tomorrow. I'll tell Rogue to wait for them. He also said that their client specifically stated that Team Natsu is still forbidden to come to the mountain, because he doesn't want his castle destroyed."

The last comment made Makarov laugh and he said, "No worries about that. I'll tell Laxus tomorrow to wait for Lucy as well, because I am sure Erza and Cana are anxious to see their dear friend again."

Then before the called ended Sting added, "Master Makarov there is one more thing."

The Fairy Tail Master smiled and asked, "What is it my boy?"

"When you see Lucy again, tell her thank you. Thank her for keeping my friend safe," Sting said seriously.

Makarov's face softened and he replied, "I will and you thank Orga for me too."

When the call ended, Sting finally told everyone that they could go back to their homes and rest. The blonde slayer went to his room and laid down in his bed. Sting just couldn't stop repeating his conversation with Orga in his head. He had never seen Orga get defensive—for anyone.

* * *

It was morning in Shirotsume and the Fairy Tail and Sabertooth mages were eating breakfast together, courtesy of the innkeeper and his wife for saving their town. Just after Laxus had talked with his Gramps about what had happened at Shirotsume and after he had showered, the guild master had already called him back to tell him what Sting had mentioned. He would finally get to see Lucy tomorrow.

The Lightning Mage's thoughts were interrupted when Erza asked, "So Rogue, Yukino, is Orga also doing well?"

Yukino nodded and replied, "Yes, Sting said that Orga-san looked well. Have you spoken with Lucy-san yet?"

Erza shook her head no and replied, "She is probably still asleep since apparently she was the one that cast that spell. That would take a huge amount of magic."

"That's my girl," Cana stated as she snuck some peach schnapps into her orange juice, "Lucy is one badass bitch."

Yukino giggled at the Card Mage and added, "Yes, I have no idea what type of spell that could have been. My spirits said that Lucy's spirits are all fine too, but they aren't allowed to talk about what has happened yet. I hope we will get to find out though. Lucy-san and her spirits are quite amazing."

Erza nodded and replied, "Indeed, but I will just be happy to have Lucy back again."

"Well we have to plan something good for her," Canna mentioned as she added just a bit more schnapps into her drink again, "I'll call Mira so we can have the biggest, craziest Welcome Home party for Lucy. Maybe try and get her laid that night too."

Erza chocked on her strawberry pancake and Yukino began to blush widely as she sat next to an ever stoic Rogue who continued to read his paper as though Cana hadn't said a thing. The Raijinshu remained quiet, but Laxus turned his gray eyes towards Cana who was smiling wickedly.

However, Frosch seemed to agree and said, "Frosch thinks so too!"

"See even Frosch agrees with me," Cana pointed out, "After I get back from a long job, I'm always looking for a good fuck."

"C-Cana!" Erza stuttered out, "L-Lucy…f-f-f-fuck."

Laxus was beyond annoyed at Cana's goading and tried to ignore her as he drank his coffee. He admired Rogue who seemed to be ignoring everything around him.

"Yeah Erza, don't get your chastity belt in a bunch. Who knows, maybe that's why Orga and Lucy really decided to stay an extra day. Maybe they needed a little post-battle romp," Cana teased.

"Frosch thinks so too," Frosch agreed as the little Exceed finished his piece of toast.

"Orga-san and Lucy-san," Yukino whispered in shock.

"O-O-Orga. L-L-Lucy s-s-s-s-s," Erza incoherently said before Freed cut her off.

"I think it is time that we help the citizens finish fixing their houses and help the changed Vulcans find their way back to their homes," Freed declared as he stood up to leave the breakfast table.

"God you are such a buzz kill Freed. Don't know how Mira puts up with your tight ass," Cana said, now drinking straight from the schnapps bottle.

"F-Freed's right," Erza intervened even though she was still completely flustered and hung up on the idea of Lucy and Orga having sex.

The mages started to get up to head out, but Laxus and Cana lagged behind.

The Lightning Mage kept looking straight ahead with his arms crossed and asked, "What the hell do you think you are doing?"

Cana just smiled and replied, "Just testing to see if you could play it cool."

"Why would you need to do that?" Laxus growled in annoyance.

"Well remember at the guild the other day when I showed you Lucy's sexy panties?" Cana asked with a wolfish grin.

Laxus just rolled his eyes as Cana continued, "Well, I figured out that there was a connection between you two, because my cards told me and when we started discussing Lucy and Orga shacking up together you lost your cool for a split second. I just wanted to test you today."

The annoyed Dragon Slayer asked, "And why would you feel the need to do that?"

Cana looked at her childhood friend seriously and replied, "Laxus, Lucy is amazing. Do you really think Orga could spend nearly three weeks with her and not leave with some sort of affection for each other?"

Laxus's brows furrowed together because he knew that Cana was just being honest.

"All I'm saying is, when they get here tomorrow, just play it cool. Lucy is a classy girl and she wouldn't like having two men acting like a bunch of cavemen in front of her—Natsu and Gray already got that area covered," Cana said.

"Why do you care how she perceives me?" Laxus asked actually interested finally in the conversation.

Cana smirked at him and said, "Because I want you to win."

"Win what?" Laxus asked now confused.

"Win Lucy's heart you dumbass," Cana answered as she found a bottle of champagne to add to her breakfast, "We've been friends a long time Laxus and I think Lucy would be good for you. Besides almost every girl you know falls in love with you, so don't screw it up by acting like a jackass."

Laxus chuckled and said very relieved, "Well you never fell for me."

"Well when you see a guy puking out one end and shitting himself out the other, you kind of lose your interest," Cana laughed.

"Goddamnit Cana we were nine years old. How do you even remember shit like that?" Laxus asked as he remembered the winter where all the kids in Fairy Tail caught the flu.

"I have a good memory for a drunk. Besides, you are like the brother I never had. I got to look out for you, you overgrown lightning rod," Cana said with a smile.

Laxus just shook his head and headed for the door so that he could go help his friends, but just as he was leaving Cana added, "Oh and Laxus, I wanted you to know that Lucy has this one piece of lingerie that is black and completely see through and her tits look amazing in it, because I helped her pick it out."

"Fuck," Laxus muttered as he walked out of the inn, trying not to get distracted with his perverted thoughts.

He shook his head as he heard Cana crack herself up and fall off of her chair.

* * *

Lucy slowly opened her eyes. She groaned heavily as she tried to raise her head. Her entire body hurt; from the top of her head to her toes. It felt like she had been hit by a ton of bricks.

She moved her head and saw Orga sleeping next her. Her eyes started to fill with tears as she remembered how Andromeda's magic had turned him against her. She felt bad that she had to take him down, but he was here and he was safe.

Then her eyes widened even more as she thought about Andromeda, because she couldn't remember what had happened. She tried to sit up and let out an even louder groan. "Oh my god I'm dying," she moaned.

Orga awoke from his sleep when he heard Lucy groan loudly. He felt his head and it still hurt, but definitely not as bad as it had earlier. He looked over to the beautiful blonde and couldn't help but laugh at her as she laid there with a pitiful expression on her face and was staring straight up at the ceiling.

"Don't laugh at me!" Lucy yelled out but couldn't help but laugh at her predicament as well, "I'm in so much fucking pain that even yelling at you hurts!"

"Sorry Tiny, you just look cute when you're annoyed," Orga admitted and then asked, "What is it you were trying to do exactly?"

A light blush coated Lucy's cheeks, but then she started laughing again and admitted, "I was trying to sit up."

This made the God Slayer just laugh harder, which then made Lucy laugh harder. Both of them thought they were just overly exhausted from the night's events and were just delusional and tired at this point. Either way, Lucy couldn't help but smile as Orga laughed. His booming laugh was so contagious.

Lucy tried to catch her breath but yelled, "Orga stop making me laugh! My abs hurt!"

"Sorry Tiny, I'll help you up," Orga chuckled out.

Once Orga had helped Lucy sit up and leaned her back on the bed, she reached for her keys.

Orga knew why she was trying to get them and he said with a smile, "Andromeda's key is silver now."

Lucy's eyes shone brightly and excitedly asked, "It is!?"

"Yeah, after you cast that bad ass spell, which I would like to know what the hell that was, you fell down from exhaustion. I went and got you and saw that you were holding it in your hand and noticed that it was silver now. I put Andromeda's key on the ring with everyone else's. I would also like to know why I was unconscious and you are supposed to call your Master too. Also, tomorrow we will be meeting Rogue, Yukino, and some of your guild mates in Shirotsume," Orga stated as he leaned himself up against the headboard next to Lucy.

The blonde looked at him and blinked several times as she tried to process everything he had just said, but what stuck out most to her was how he had taken the time to recognize Andromeda's key. Not only that but he called it  _Andromeda's key_  and he put it with everyone else's as though they were real people to him. Most people Lucy had met, even some of her guild mates, often when referring to her spirits treated them as though they were just spirits to do her biding or instruments to be used. Orga talked about them as though they were his friends.

Lucy pulled her thoughts together and then decided to talk about what had happened from her perspective first. "Well don't be mad at me, but I had to take you down," Lucy said with a giggle.

Orga arched his eyebrow and asked, "How'd you do it?"

Once again Lucy was amazed by this man. He didn't even question that she did it, he just wanted to know how. Lucy looked into his eyes and asked, "Do you remember eating Andromeda's lightning when you blocked that attack for me?"

The Sabertooth Mage nodded and replied, "I don't remember eating eat, but I do remember blocking it or you."

"Well, when you ate her lightning it possessed you. It was something in her lightning that changed you. Before you were taken over though, you told me to knock you out. Then she told you to kill me," Lucy recalled sadly.

She felt Orga stiffen next to her, but she continued to ease his mind, "I decided to summon Gemini and told them to hide and transform into me to cast Urano Metria on you and Andromeda. I knew that the attack wouldn't kill you but it would catch you off guard since you had no idea I had even summoned Gemini. Then when it worked, Loke used his Regulus Impact to knock you out completely."

"That's pretty damn clever Tiny," Orga admitted proudly.

"Well I had a good teacher," Lucy said as she smiled at him before she continued, "Then I tried closing Andromeda's gate again and I knew I was getting closer. Then she showed me a vision of my friends getting attacked by all those Vulcans in Shirotsume and I guess a little bit of Natsu came out in me. I got so angry about everything and then…well I cast that spell."

"Where did you learn it?" Orga asked since he never remembered her mentioning it before.

"It was in one of the books in Mr. Yamagata's library. My mom had circled it. It said that it could cleanse evil and only the most powerful Celestial Mage could cast it. All these weeks I had been doubting myself, but I secretly decided to memorize it—just in case. It's called Judicium Steallarum; roughly translated it means Judgement of the Stars. Then I tried closing the gate one more time," Lucy admitted with a heavy sigh then asked, "You saw it?"

Orga smiled and admitted, "I became conscious again right before you cast it. It was pretty damn amazing and scary as shit at the same time, but it worked. You saved everyone. I talked to Sting last night and all the Vulcans that were attacking everyone turned back into humans. I asked him to call your Master last night since you were passed out and told Sting to tell him that you had saved everyone."

Lucy felt tears run down her face and was so relieved by the news that her friends were safe. She didn't know what to do with the praise so she said, "You helped too. You trained me and saved me from the lightning bolt."

"Yeah and then I tried to kill you apparently," Orga said, "So you did it all on your own Tiny. Just like I knew you would."

Lucy leaned her head on Orga's strong arm and admitted, "But Orga, I could do it because  _you_  trained me and  _you_  gave me the courage to see my own strength. I will never forget that."

The Sabertooth Mage smiled and replied, "I would do anything for you, Tiny."

Lucy's heart began to beat uncontrollably fast and then she remembered that amazing kiss Orga had laid on her right before the heat of the battle. She knew she had to calm herself down soon, because Orga would be able to sense every goddamn thing that her body was about to start doing, but she couldn't help but wish that he would try kissing her again.

Her pervy thoughts were broken though when Orga asked, "So how do you check on Andromeda?"

Lucy was just going to put Orga in the amazing category right now and realized that no matter what this man did today it was going to get her worked up. Even though she was exhausted, Lucy looked down at the key and said, "I'll try summoning her."

Lucy rarely met a spirit for the first time in front of other people. She had with Natsu and Happy before, but she felt comfortable summoning Andromeda for the first time with Orga here because he had been the one to help her save the spirit to begin with.

Orga helped Lucy up off of the bed and let her lean against him, since her legs were shaking from pain and exhaustion. She took a deep breath as she held out Andromeda's key and recited lines that always excited her when she met a spirit for the first time, "I am linked to the path to the world of Celestial Spirits, now! O spirit, answer my call and pass through the gate! Gate of Andromedae, I open thee!"

A silver light shone through the room, then the young maiden that had been in the dream that Lupus had sent her was standing before her. The woman had pale golden hair with deep purple eyes. She wore a lilac tunic that made her look exotic and completely breathtaking.

Andromeda looked at Lucy and smiled. Out of habit, Andromeda tried to curtsey but Lucy tried to stop her of course. The maiden looked at her and said, "Thank you Lucy Heartfilia and Orga Nanagear. Thank you for freeing me and Lupus."

"You are very welcome," Lucy said with a bright smile but then added more seriously, "I just wanted you to know that I am very sorry about what happened to you and that we are here for you and love you very much."

Andromeda looked saddened and overwhelmed. The new spirit really didn't know quite what to do with the kindness she was being shown. She nodded her head to Lucy and said, "Even after all this time, it will still take time to heal; however, I have spent time amongst your spirits and with Lupus while I regained my strength. They assured me that you are nothing like my former master. The way Lupus spoke of you, it made my heart glad and made me feel safe."

Lucy blushed and rubbed the back of her head. She didn't know what to do with all this praise in one day. She smiled and replied, "I just did what any friend would do."

"They said you might say something like that," Andromeda smiled, "And Virgo assured me that you never actually punish her."

Lucy sighed in response; leave it to Virgo to bring up punishment to someone who had been through enough horrors. However, Lucy looked at Andromeda to reassure her and said, "No, I have never punished my spirits. I see them as my family and I love them more than anything. We couldn't just stand by and watch you suffer."

Andromeda looked like she was about to cry when she asked, "May Lupus and I be a part of your family as well?"

Lucy felt tears well up in her eyes at the beautiful spirit that stood before her and cried out, "Yes!"

The Celestial Mage had tears running down her face when she summoned out Lupus as well to make a contract together. The four conversed with each other and Lucy felt so happy to have new additions to her family. She was also relieved when Lupus informed her that he and Andromeda had spoken with the Spirit King and the King decided that Lupus and Andromeda had suffered enough and that Lupus would not be punished for breaking the most important rule between a spirit and their master.

Lucy was also so excited that Lupus and Andromeda were reunited with each other once more. She felt like a cry baby because she couldn't stop her emotions. It had been an overwhelming few weeks and she had changed and grown so much. She felt so loved and felt glad that she would be able to protect two more spirits and make sure that they had happy lives.

After the contracts had been made, Orga said he was going to go find a shower—since their rooms were unusable at the moment. Lupus gave Andromeda a kiss on the cheek which made Lucy fangirl almost as bad as Mira and said that he would speak with them both later and for Andromeda to enjoy herself.

Once Lupus had returned to the spirit word, Virgo used her own magic to come out and ask, "Hime-sama, do you need help taking a bath."

Lucy smiled and leaned on the Maid Spirit for assistance and answered, "A bubble bath would be amazing right now, Virgo. Andromeda, do you want to come spend time with us?"

The beautiful maiden still looked very nervous, but she didn't think she had ever had the pleasure of spending time with other girls…just to spend time together. So Andromeda bowed and said, "Of course Master."

"Ah, ah ah! Nope!" Lucy smiled and said, "That is the only rule I have with my spirit family. You guys aren't allowed to call me Master because we are family."

Andromeda looked stunned and then asked, "What would you like me to call you then?"

Virgo carefully helped Lucy remove her clothing since Lucy could barely raise her arms as Lucy said, "You can call me whatever suits you. Virgo and Loke are both silly so they like calling me princess. Capricorn and Crux like to call me Lucy-sama, whereas Sagittarius likes calling adding san instead. Then the others just call me a mix of the above or just Lucy."

Virgo looked at Andromeda after she helped lower Lucy into the jacuzzi tub and turned on the water and said, "And Aquarius calls her girl or whiney brat."

Andromeda looked appalled and Lucy just laughed and said, "That's just because Aquarius has known me since I was a child."

Andromeda thought about everything for a moment. It all seemed so strange to her, but she felt so happy for the first time since she met Lupus to be here now with her new Master. Andromeda smiled and said, "If it's ok, I think I will just call you Savior."

"Kyyaaaaaaaa!" Lucy screamed, "That's giving me way too much credit!"

"So you really don't care if I just call you Lucy then?" Andromeda asked just to be sure.

"Just Lucy is fine," Lucy said as the bubbles of the jacuzzi tub that Virgo added began to fill it up.

"Ok then, Lucy," Andromeda said and then went and sat by Virgo next to the edge of the bath.

Lucy and Virgo talked to Andromeda about everything; about Magnolia, about Fairy Tail, about Natsu, Gray, Happy, and Erza. Lucy suggested that after they get back and things calm down, that they should have a girl's night at her apartment since she could summon all of her female spirits out at once now and that they should invite Yukino over too.

Andromeda just smiled as Lucy and Virgo happily talked. Everything seemed so nice.

Then Lucy looked at Andromeda and said, "I promise I won't call you out to battle or anything anytime soon, but my Team and my guild will probably want to meet you and Lupus if that is ok?"

"Of course, that would be fine Lucy," Andromeda agreed. When she had met Leo in the spirit world he told her how Lucy had saved him and that Fairy Tail was amazing and full of wonderful people and that she and Lupus would be safe.

"If it's also ok, can I ask what special powers you have?" Lucy asked Andromeda.

Andromeda nodded and replied, "I believe Lupus may have shown you some of my talents."

Lucy tilted her head and thought about when that could have been and then remembered her dream. Her eyes widened and then she asked, "You can control people?"

"Yes and no," Andromeda said, "I can't control everyone. It has to do with the person's heart. If they are a steadfast person with loyalty, then it is more difficult and takes more time. The easiest people are the weak willed ones."

Lucy thought about that for a moment, she wasn't sure if she liked the idea of controlling people in that way—unless they were trying to harm her or her friends then she could see how it would be useful. Then Andromeda added, "I can also change my age so that I am more difficult to recognize.

"Oh, like when you came out disguised as that old woman?" Lucy asked.

Andromeda nodded her head in response. Then the spirit asked her, "So Lucy, is Orga your lover?"

Virgo had to catch Lucy who nearly fell backwards in the tub at the question. The blonde blushed wildly but answered, "N-no…were are just friends."

Virgo looked at Andromeda and then bluntly stated, "But they have kissed."

"Virgo!" Lucy cried out, "That's personal! Besides…it was just in the heat of the moment."

"I don't believe that's true," Andromeda added.

Lucy and Virgo looked at the beautiful spirit before she continued, "I do remember trying to kill you and I am sorry that I put you through so much pain. However, I also remember possessing Orga. I told him to kill you and he fought it off—longer than I could have imagined. Only someone who truly loves you would have been able to withstand the power that I was possessing him with. The curse that was put on me had amplified my powers by nearly a hundredfold."

"L-love?" Lucy murmured out before Virgo had to catch her from falling in the tub again from her overheated thoughts.

"Forgive me," Andromeda stated when she saw the blush across her new master's face, "You both just seem very close."

"N-no, it's ok," Lucy murmured out as she tried to calm herself down.

Virgo was really enjoying the moment though and looked at Andromeda and said, "Hime-sama tried to take a bath with Orga-sama on their first night together."

"Kyyyyaaaaaaaaa! Virgo!" Lucy screamed in embarrassment which made Virgo and Andromeda both giggle at their beloved Master.

* * *

Orga just finished taking a shower. He felt bitter sweet as he put on a tight black shirt. On one hand he was glad that the mission was over so that Lucy could finally relax and not be in anymore danger, but the downside meant that they only had this last day together before they would have to go their separate ways.

He was just about to walk out of the spare room he found to get cleaned up in when he saw a flash of golden light.

"Loke, this better not be some weird habit you'll have now like you do with Tiny. Showing up after I'm done showering and shit," Orga joked at the Lion Spirit.

"Nah, you don't need to worry about it. Besides Lucy's body is much more preferable to look at than yours," the Zodiac leader goaded.

When Orga shot Loke an annoyed look, it only amused the spirit more. Loke readjusted his glasses then said, "I'm actually here for a few reasons. First, we would just like to thank you for everything that you have done for Lucy on this mission. She'd kill me if I said anything, but she had been quite lonely at Fairy Tail since the games and she had been constantly tearing herself down about her abilities. Thanks to you, she sees now what we've always seen in her. You'll never know how much that means to us, so we will always be your friend Orga."

The Sabertooth Mage just nodded because he could tell that Loke had more to say. Loke then took a deep breath and added, "The second thing I wanted to add was that you have my support with my Princess's heart."

"Umm...what?" Orga asked because he didn't know exactly what Loke meant.

"I know Lucy will be going back to Fairy Tail soon and you will be going back to Sabertooth as well. I'm also not unaware that another Lightning Mage has his sights set on Lucy, but even if Laxus is in our guild that doesn't mean Lucy's feeling she has developed for you will go away," Loke added with an amused grin.

"Why are you telling me all this?" Orga asked, because he was slightly shocked by Loke's bluntness.

"Well I think Laxus is a dick," Loke said flatly, "Well you're a dick too Orga. And since Lucy can't be with me, then I think you are the better choice for Lucy. I didn't mean to overhear, but we knew Lucy would call on us soon when Andromeda attacked and I heard what you said about believing in her. I felt her response to those words you said which is why I'm trying to be a friend to you now so you don't give up. I'm on your team!"

Then Loke flamboyantly shot a banner into the air that read 'Team OrLu!'

"What the hell is Team OrLu?" Orga asked as he stared at the hideous banner.

"Team Orga and Lucy," Loke replied, slightly shocked that Orga didn't already know, "Virgo and Gemini helped me make it."

Orga couldn't help but shake his head, but finally said, "Don't worry Loke, I won't give up easily."

* * *

When Lucy finished her bath, her muscles already started to feel better. Virgo helped her change into some cute boyfriend cut navy sweatpants and a comfortable oversized hot pink sweatshirt. Andromeda helped Lucy put her hair up into a messy bun while Virgo found Lucy's communication lacrima. Lucy's main goal today was comfort and enjoying the last day of her mission with Orga.

Lucy thanked her loving friends then she wished Andromeda a relaxing time with Lupus and welcomed her to the family again.

The Celestial Mage got herself comfortable and focused her thoughts on Master Makarov. It only took a few seconds until Mira's bright face appeared on the screen.

Before Lucy could say anything, Mira screamed, "Lucy!"

After that it was utter chaos as she heard the guild start yelling. She laughed because in the background she could hear Natsu and Happy yelling her name. She was so thankful that they were all safe.

But then she heard Master yell, "Quiet!"

The guild grew deathly silent and then the elderly man's face appeared before her. He had a huge smile and tears in his eyes when he greeted her, "Hello Lucy. It's good to see you are doing well my child."

Lucy was beaming, she had missed her friends so much, "You too Master!"

"I take it your partner told you that you'd be meeting some of your guild mates tomorrow?" Master Makarov added.

"Yes he did, thank you Master," Lucy replied and felt a slight panic arise in her chest at Orga mingling with her guild mates—and mostly likely Laxus if the vision Andromeda showed her was true.

"Very well then. We are so happy that you are safe and are returning to us. The guild just hasn't been the same since you left. I'm sure when you return we will have plenty of time for you to brief me on your adventure," Master said then added, "I better let some of your teammates speak with you now before they almost destroy the guild again. You'll see Erza tomorrow and have a safe trip home."

"Thank you Master!" Lucy called out right before Natsu and Gray's face appeared in front of her.

Then Happy jumped in front of them both and yelled with big tears in his eyes, "Lusheeee I've missed you! Natsu and Gray have been bakas and Natsu ate my last piece of fish last night when I wasn't looking!"

Gray just smiled and said, "Hey Lucy, good to see you again."

"Luce!" Natsu yelled, "Did that Sabertooth Fucker touch you?! Do I need to kick his ass?!"

Lucy started to blush because Orga has touched her...many times and she wanted more. But she smiled at them all and replied, "Happy I'm sorry Natsu took your fish. I'll buy you one when I get back home and I'll punish Natsu too."

Happy snickered at Natsu and whispered, "You're in trouble."

Then Lucy looked at Gray and responded, "Hi Gray! It's good to see you too. When I get back you'll have to tell me all about your mission with Juvia and Lyon."

"Deal," Gray smiled but then added darkly, "It was pretty shitty though."

Lucy just sweatdropped and thought about how some things will never change when she heard Juvia scream in the background, "Gray-Sama, Juvia's better than Love Rival."

Finally Lucy turned to Natsu and said maybe a little too harshly, "Natsu, his name is Orga and he is my friend. Plus I doubt you could kick his ass."

She realized what she had said, and how loud she said it, when the guild got deathly quiet again. Her teammates' eyes looked back at her in shock, but then luckily Lucy heard the voice of Gajeel in the background say, "Bunny Girl is right Salamander; that Sabertooth Mage would kick your ass."

"What'd you say Metal Brains?" Natsu yelled as he whipped around trying to seek out Gajeel.

"That the Sabertooth Mage is stronger than you. He's a monster, like Laxus and Erza," Gajeel stated flatly.

"I'll kick your ass!" Natsu yelled and then disappeared from the screen.

"Natsu!" Happy yelled as he flew after his friend, "Don't go! Lucy's still here."

Gray and Lucy simultaneously sighed at their friend then Gray looked at Lucy and said, "It'll be good to have you home again. See you soon Lucy."

"Bye Gray!" Lucy said with a smile then the screen went dark.

Lucy stared up at the ceiling with a frown on her face. On one hand she couldn't wait to see her friends again, but on the other...she wasn't ready to let Orga go.

She heard a knock on the door and she said, "Come in."

Orga peaked in and asked, "You hungry Tiny? I just saw the old man and he's prepared quite the feast for you. He said that there are strawberry pancakes."

"Really?!" Lucy yelled, "Oh my god I'm starving and today I can eat as much as I want and you can't stop me and I don't have to run five miles!"

Orga laughed at the comment and replied, "I have no intention of stopping you. Plus I want to see how much that tiny body of yours can put away."

Lucy just laughed and then tried to get off of the bed. The whole way down she said, "Ow, ow, ow, ow." Then stopped to catch her breath. She hoped she wouldn't be as sore tomorrow because she didn't know how she'd make it down the mountain.

The Sabertooth Mage raised his eyebrow and asked, "You ok there?"

Lucy pouted and replied, "No."

Orga just laughed and then before Lucy could object, he picked her up bridal style in his arms and joked, "Well if we stand here and wait on you to move your sore ass down the hall then it will be dinner by the time we get there."

Lucy just laughed and agreed as she wrapped her arms around Orga's neck, accepting his closeness and warmth. Lucy just smiled then asked, "Well what are we going to do tomorrow on the way down the mountain?"

Orga's smile turned down and he replied, "I'll have to use my magic. We will be in Shirotsume in a matter of seconds."

Lucy realized why Orga frowned, because her heart ached at the thought of their adventure being over. She leaned her head against Orga's shoulders and let out a sad sigh.

As Orga led them to the kitchen, both mages thought about how to make the most out of the 24 hours they had left together.

* * *

Orga carried Lucy into the kitchen where Mr. Yamagata was waiting in excitement. When the two entered the old man released a bunch of confetti and banners fell that read a mix of things like 'We Did It!' and 'OrLu Forever!'

Lucy wasn't sure what OrLu meant but she was so excited by Mr. Yamagata's enthusiasm. She was also relieved that he had put another protective shield over the food so that she wouldn't have to pick out tiny bits of confetti out of her breakfast.

Orga gently placed Lucy into one of the chairs before he took a seat next to her while Mr. Yamagata placed heart shaped pancakes in front of them. Lucy's smile widened at all the food. No more overly strict diet! However she knew that she wanted to stay in the condition that she had reached in such a short time, but today was going to be an exception.

The three talked casually with each other and Lucy filled Mr. Yamagata in on the details that Orga didn't remember. She felt bad again for bringing up that she had to knock him out, but Orga didn't seem to mind at all. When Lucy told Mr. Yamagata about the spell that she had found in his library that her mother had circled, the old man's eyes filled with tears and he had to take his glasses off to wipe them away.

"Dear Lucy," Mr. Yamagata said tenderly, "Layla would be so proud of you. I have no doubt that she has been watching over you and is proud. Layla was an angel and you are so much like her."

Lucy started to feel tears of her own start to form in her eyes, before Mr. Yamagata turned to Orga and added, "And I'm sure Layla wishes that she could be here to thank you Orga, for watching over Lucy and keeping her safe. You two are quite an incredible team."

Then Mr. Yamagata got himself all choked up and started wailing and then went to get them some more food. Lucy and Orga looked at each other. There was so much that both mages wanted to say to the other; however, when Mr. Yamagata came back with a bowl of fruit he finally had cheered back up a little.

The old man them looked at Lucy and asked, "Would it be alright if I met Lupus and Andromeda?"

Lucy agreed and realized that her two new friends would probably want to meet the elderly man who helped Lucy and Orga free them from their prisons. Lucy sent a telepathic message to them through their keys and they both agreed.

When Lucy summoned them, Mr. Yamagata released another banner that said 'Welcome Home Lupus and Andromeda!' Lucy giggled at her new friends' shocked faces. The elderly man motioned for Lupus and Andromeda to have a seat with them and offered the couple pancakes as well. To which they both accepted, but had no actual clue what a pancake was or why it was shaped like a heart.

Mr. Yamagata asked them all sorts of questions and then started crying again because he was so happy that they were free. Finally, Lupus and Andromeda thanked Mr. Yamagata and when Andromeda gave the elderly man a kiss on the cheek—he nearly fell off his seat from embarrassment.

Once the two spirits had went back to their world for some much needed rest, Mr. Yamagata turned to Lucy and Orga and said, "I do not mind if you discuss the actual mission with both of your guild masters; however, it would probably be wise not to let many people know the true events of what happened. The major reason being, we do not want some other fool trying to attempt revenge on someone by hurting another Celestial Spirit."

Orga and Lucy both nodded in agreement as Mr. Yamagata wiped his mouth with his napkin before he added, "Now let's discuss your payment; would 10,000,000 jewels each be enough?"

Lucy muttered the amount as she felt her head start to spin and yelled, "That's way too much! That's over ten years' worth of rent money!"

Mr. Yamagata jumped in his seat at the sudden outburst and Orga agreed with Lucy that it was an absurd amount of money; however, Mr. Yamagata waved their concerns away and said, "You both saved all of Fiore, in my opinion you should get more but I knew it would be difficult to give you this small amount. Also, I have no children of my own and more than enough money, the least I could do is make sure that my beloved late friend's daughter is provided for. Please let me do this for you both."

Lucy and Orga first tried to offer to clean up the library and the destroyed rooms from Andromeda's attack; however, Mr. Yamagata said that his magic is already fixing everything so they need not worry. So finally, Lucy and Orga agreed but mostly because Mr. Yamagata started crying and begging them too. Once the issue was settled, Mr. Yamagata wished them a relaxing day and told them that he would be working through his lunch and that he would let them know when their celebratory dinner would be.

When the old man excused himself, Orga carried Lucy into another living room area that was near their new room and sat her down on the couch as he took a seat next to her and put his arm behind her on the couch.

Lucy then looked at Orga and asked, "Well, what do you feel like doing on our last day here?"

"Well...we can't do anything too strenuous since you can't even walk right," Orga responded bluntly but in a gentle tone.

Lucy's eyes roamed over Orga's muscular body and couldn't stop her mind from fantasizing at the thought of doing a strenuous activity with Orga naked. Her face blushed again as she thought about the intense kiss that Orga gave her and what he said to her. She knew she'd have to stop her thoughts fast, otherwise Orga would smell her arousal—but it was too late. When she looked up at Orga's face his majestic eyes were already gazing into hers.

Lucy didn't break the eye contact though when she nervously said, "Orga...before we face Andromeda you said that you believed in me."

She watched as Orga's facial features softened before she added, "You have no idea how much that meant to me and t-the k-kiss too."

A confident smile appeared on Orga's face before he said, "Of course I believe in you, you are the most incredible person I have ever met and I'm sorry for how I treated you and your guild at the games. I was wrong about a lot of things then and underestimating you was definitely one of those things."

A faint smile brushed across Lucy's face and she replied, "Thank you for that Orga, but I already forgave you a long time ago."

Orga nodded but then added, "And you are right, our kiss was pretty damn hot."

Lucy couldn't help but laugh and agree, but then Lucy watched as Orga's smile faded before he said in a husky tone, "Lucy, I want you to be mine. All of mine."

If Orga couldn't hear her heartbeat before, he damn well would be able to hear it now. A surge of heat ran through Lucy's body at the confession. Lucy bit her lip as her core began to ache with desire.

Then Orga added, "However, I haven't forgotten everything that happened before we reached the mountain. Dreyar is attracted to you and you are to him as well."

Lucy was stunned by Orga's blatant honesty, but then the Sabertooth Mage leaned towards Lucy and whispered in her ear seductively, "And I know you are attracted to me too because I can smell it on you and I'm doing everything I can to hold back instead of showing you what it is you do to me."

She couldn't help but let out a faint moan at how incredible that would feel. Feeling Orga's body on top of her, grabbing her sore breasts, and relieving the ever growing ache between her legs. However, she knew he was right about Laxus. She didn't know what was between her and her guild mate, but she was attracted to the blonde slayer. She felt horrible, how could she like two guys at once?

Orga could tell that Lucy was struggling with everything so he added, "Before we define what our relationship is, I think you should go back to Fairy Tail and figure out what is between you and Dreyar. If you want to be with me in the end, then I will spend the rest of our lives showing you how important you are to me. I just don't want to always have to wonder if you will still harbor feelings for Dreyar."

Lucy felt tears run down her eyes at the realization on how hard this must be for Orga and just nodded her head because she wasn't sure what to say. Her chest hurt so much.

Orga gently pulled Lucy close to his chest and he said, "That doesn't mean that we shouldn't make the most out of our last day together and that I shouldn't remind you one more time on what it is I have to offer."

Then before Lucy could think about what Orga had said, the Sabertooth Mage lifted her chin towards his face and placed his lips gently onto to hers. The touch of his lips was so tender yet so much passion was behind the feeling. Lucy knew Orga was right, but she needed this and she quickly reciprocated the intimacy.

Her sore body held onto him as the intensity of their kiss grew. His kiss reminded her of the smell right before a thunderstorm. It was both calm and intense and her senses were overwhelmed with his masculine scent. She could feel his strong hands wrap around her as he gently pulled her closer towards his body, obviously keeping in mind at how sore she was. Everything that Orga did just made Lucy want him more.

However, Orga reluctantly pulled away from their kiss and both mages panted lightly as they tried to catch their breath.

Lucy rested her head on Orga's chest and said playfully, "Yep, I think I'll remember that."

Her response elicited a gruff laugh from Orga before he said, "Well, let me know if you ever need me to remind you."

Lucy began to laugh too then gently placed a kiss on Orga's cheek and said, "Thank you."

"Anything for you Tiny," Orga replied with a smile.

* * *

The two decided that they would start their day by watching a movie. Virgo supplied them a variety of things to watch and unlimited popcorn. They spent hours just enjoying each other's company as they ate lunch together, explored new parts of the castle together, and they even enjoyed a nap together because they were both still exhausted from the intensity of the mission.

That evening Mr. Yamagata requested their presence in a different wing of the castle for dinner. Lucy, now able to walk a little better, held onto Orga's arm just enjoying his company.

When they reached the new room, they knocked then when there was no response, Orga slowly opened the door and Lucy gasped when she looked inside.

The room before them had a glass ceiling and walls that had the most breathtaking view of the night sky that Lucy had ever seen. It was a beautiful sight without the storm. The room was also lit by hundreds of candles with soft music playing in the background and there was an intimate table set for two.

Lucy and Orga looked at each other then they walked over to the table where there was a note left by Mr. Yamagata that read:

_My Young Friends,_

_I apologize for my absence, but I have discovered a new rare magical occurrence that I must study tonight._

_Please enjoy the food and show._

_Love,_

_Mr. Yamagata_

"I'm not dressed for this," Lucy muttered as she looked down at her sweatpants.

"You always look beautiful in my opinion," Orga stated, "And I actually really like your relaxed look. You look incredible."

Lucy's face heated up at the comment. Orga had seen her now at her lowest point in life, when she saw the visions that tormented her and the fear the she had suppressed for so long finally surfaced. Yet here he was, ready to be there for her and reassure her.

"T-thanks Orga and black looks good on you, just so you know," Lucy added as Orga held the seat out for her.

"I figured as much since every time I wore black you always looked like you were ready to lick me, just like how you wanted to our very first night together," Orga said with a wink as he took the seat across from her.

"Gods that was so humiliating! You're never going to let me forget that are you?" Lucy asked as she buried her face in her hands.

"Never," Orga teased.

The two helped themselves to the dinner that Mr. Yamagata had prepared for them which consisted of delicious spaghetti and meatballs, salads, breadsticks, chocolate strawberry cheesecake, and plenty of wine. They enjoyed each other's presence and Lucy took it easy on the wine since she knew that she'd probably try to grope Orga again and until she could decide what she wanted, she didn't want to put him in a difficult situation.

Lucy smiled brightly and said, "This is so nice, it's just like  _Lady and the Tramp_."

"What the hell is that?" Orga asked very confused by the wording.

"Oh my gosh! You've never seen  _Lady and the Tramp_?!" Lucy asked in surprise.

When Orga shook his head no, Lucy said, "It's only one of the best movies ever! The two dogs eat spaghetti together while they are serenaded and then they kiss when they eat the same noodle!"

"That doesn't sound very realistic," Orga pointed out as he enjoyed listening to Lucy.

"It's a cartoon Orga!" Lucy said as she rolled her eyes, "I'll bring it when I come visit you at Sabertooth sometime."

Orga was just about to take a bite of his food when Lucy mentioned visiting him. He looked at her and asked in a serious tone, "You want to come visit me?"

"Of course! Well I mean if it's ok with you," Lucy asked now very nervous because she didn't know if Orga would feel ashamed of her around his guild mates.

However she didn't have to wait long before Orga said, "I'd love for you to come visit. The only thing I'd worry about is Sting hitting on you constantly. Then I'd probably have to kick my own guild master's ass."

Lucy started laughing hard at the image Orga put in her head and then replied, "Well I will make it very clear to him on who I'm there to see, so that you don't have to do that."

Then before anything else could be said, large fireworks started to light up the sky around them outside.

"This must be what Mr. Yamagata meant by show," Lucy said with a smile.

The two watched the fireworks together and Lucy was amazed by them because they were some of the largest she had ever seen and the magic in them danced around the mountain.

Then finally a peculiar one shot into the sky and in mint green and gold colors it read 'Team OrLu' with pink hearts all around it. That was the second time today that Lucy had seen that word. She looked closely at it and quietly asked herself, "What the hell is Team OrLu?"

* * *

Once they were done with their dinner, they both decided to get ready for bed since they would have a long day tomorrow. Before Lucy entered the bedroom, she looked at Orga and asked, "You're coming back in here right? I mean after you shower and stuff?"

She wasn't sure after the conversation that they had earlier if Orga would want to or not. However the Sabertooth Mage just smiled and replied, "Sure thing Tiny."

Lucy smiled again and then went to get ready.

After Lucy bathed, her thoughts were filled with anxiety and dread. She tried to tell herself to just enjoy the moment, but she had grown very fond of Orga. She knew that she wasn't in love with him yet, but that didn't mean that she didn't care about him. She was very attracted to him and she could easily fall for him after everything they had done together; cooking together, talking together, spending peaceful evenings together, and training together. No matter which way she looked at it, tomorrow was going to suck.

Then without paying much attention, and because Virgo was a sneaky minx, Lucy put on some pajamas without looking. When she stepped out of the bathroom, Orga was already on their bed reading a book and damn did he look sexy without his shirt on.

Orga looked up at her then she saw what looked like lightning in his eyes when he took in her appearance. Lucy began to get nervous because she forgot to even look at what she was wearing. As she walked over to the bed and then looked down to see what she had on, she knew that probably used about a hundred different swear words for Virgo's mischievousness. Lucy was wearing a lacy mint green top, the same color as Orga's hair, that was pretty damn close to see through with matching boy shorts.

Lucy tried to play it cool as she crawled into bed next to Orga, who couldn't take his eyes off of her. When she got under the covers next to him, she looked over at his book and asked, "What are you reading?"

His thoughts returned to the book in hand and he replied, "Dracula, it's pretty fitting since we are in this huge castle."

Lucy smiled and leaned against his arm and said, "I love that book! What part are you at?"

The Lightning Mage smiled and replied, "The part where they are waiting in the cemetery."

Lucy practically squealed and said, "That's one of my favorite parts! It's so creepy and exciting!"

"Then let me read it to you," Orga stated as he wrapped his arm around Lucy to pull her closer to his chest.

Lucy's body immediately responded to Orga and she rested her head on his chest and absent mindedly started to stroke Orga's tattoos with her fingers as she listened to Orga's deep voice read her the lines to one of her favorite classics and eventually let sleep take her.

* * *

The next morning, both Lucy and Orga were overly quiet—both overthinking the future and its possible outcomes. Mr. Yamagata fed them breakfast one more time while Virgo made sure that they had all their things.

Afterwards, Lucy and Orga quietly followed behind Mr. Yamagata to the entrance of the castle. The old man turned to them and gave them both their rewards and thanked them again.

The old man looked at Lucy again and said, "You are so much like your mother and I'm so glad that I was finally able to meet you after all these years."

Mr. Yamagata started crying so Lucy gave him a kiss on the cheek and thanked him for his hospitality and for believing in her. The elderly man gave them both hugs and asked them to visit him again once his library was remodeled.

They said their goodbyes one last time before Lucy and Orga stepped outside. Lucy felt her chest tighten because of anxiety as the cold air of the mountain filled her lungs; however, her mind was pulled from her depressing thoughts when she heard Orga say, "Tiny, there is something I want to give you before we leave."

Lucy turned to look at her muscular partner and saw that he was holding something in his hand. Her eyes softened as she replied, "What is it?"

Orga showed her a little crystal that had black lightning dancing around on the inside and the crystal was attached to a leather band that matched the pouch that Lucy carried her keys in.

He looked at her and said, "I made this for you our last week here and wanted to give it to you before we had to go back to our guilds. This is a little lacrima that I have imbued with my lightning, so if you are ever in a situation where someone takes your magic away like what happened on our first day together in Oshibana then my magic will aid you. It won't hurt you, but if anyone else tries to remove it off of you then they will get a pretty big surprise. Also, you can use it whenever you want. All you will need to do is hold onto it and imagine what it is you would want the lightning to do and besides, my lightning and Aquarius's magic would be a pretty bad ass combo. I know you are more than capable of defending yourself, but just think of this as a little extra pack to your punch."

Lucy looked at the little lacrima in awe and said, "Orga, thank you so much…but I didn't get you anything."

Orga just shrugged and said, "You forgiving me and allowing me to be there for you these past few weeks is more than enough."

Lucy felt like crying again and then let Orga tie the lacrima around her neck. She carefully put it under her clothes and said, "I'll cherish it. It will be a great surprise if someone tries to hurt me."

"Exactly," Orga said with a smile.

Lucy then grabbed her bag and held onto Orga as he scooped her up into his arms. They looked sadly into each other's eyes as Orga asked, "Are you ready Tiny?"

Lucy nodded, but not before she gave Orga one last kiss on his cheek and thanked him again for his present.

The Sabertooth Mage nodded then transformed them into lightning as they finally made their way down the mountain.

* * *

Orga had been right, it took less than seven seconds to reach the bottom and Lucy had to cover her mouth as she tried not to throw up on her partner.

Orga laughed and asked, "You ok there Tiny?"

Lucy nodded and whispered as she continued to cover her mouth, "Yep, just give me a second. I think I finally know how Natsu must feel on transportation."

Orga just let out a booming laugh as Lucy gagged again, but then their moment was interrupted when they heard, "Lucy!"

They both turned to see their friends waiting for them as Erza, Yukino, and Frosch came to greet them. Orga gently sat Lucy down but it didn't matter because Erza slammed Lucy into her armor giving her one of the most painful hugs she had ever received.

"Erza, I can't breathe," Lucy gasped out.

The red haired Mage realized what she was doing and pulled away and apologized for her excitement, "Forgive me Lucy, it's just so good to see you again. You can hit me if you wish to punish me for my rashness."

When Lucy turned down Erza's silly request, Yukino and Frosch gave the blonde a much gentler hug before they turned to greet Orga as well. Lucy giggled when Frosch jumped out of Yukino's arm and latched on to the God Slayer.

When Lucy pulled away from another one of Erza's death grips, she saw the rest of her guild mates who had come to Shirotsume and behind them stood a very pissed off looking Laxus Dreyar.


	32. Chapter 32

Lucy almost started to shake as though she could feel the tension between Orga and Laxus, but then suddenly an arm was thrown around her neck and she heard Cana laugh and say, "Hey Lucy, how the hell are ya?"

"I'm good Cana thanks. It's good to see you again," Lucy added nervously as Laxus and Orga continued to stare each other down as though a mental battle were going on in-between them.

"So Lucy, Mira is going to throw a big ass party for you once we get back. We are going to get so drunk together," Cana added as she started to drag Lucy away from Orga.

However, Lucy felt a pang in her chest at just being torn away from Orga so quickly so she planted her feet and replied, "That sounds great Cana and I'm sure that it's going to be fun."

Cana noticed the sudden change in Lucy and studied her and watched as Lucy went over to stand by Orga and Erza.

Everyone grew silent as Erza looked at Orga and said with a serious gaze, "Orga, Sting told us how you had said that it was Lucy who had saved everyone, is this true?"

Lucy felt like throwing up. Why did everyone have to be so tense and awkward? She could feel sweat start to bead her face, because she knew how intense Erza was—even if Erza wasn't trying to be intense. Lucy moved slightly so that she could somewhat stand in-between Erza and Orga just in case something happened. Lucy looked over to Yukino who also looked very uncomfortable at the sudden change in everyone's demeanor.

However, Orga just looked at Erza with Frosch perched up on his massive shoulder and replied, "That's correct. Tiny saved everyone including myself. She is an amazing mage."

Lucy watched as Erza stood stunned before Orga, obviously surprised that Orga would praise someone so highly. Lucy let out a relieved sigh when Erza smiled at Orga and nodded her head before she added, "Yes, Lucy is quite wonderful. I have missed her greatly so thank you for being there for her when I could not."

"It was no problem at all. In fact, Tiny here could probably give you a run for your money now Titania," Orga said with his monotone voice then shot Lucy a slight wink.

"Really?" Erza asked as she put her hands on her hips and turned to Lucy.

Rogue started walking up to greet his friend and stood by Yukino as everyone looked at Lucy in shock and then Orga added, "Yeah, she even knocked me out."

"W-well, I-I u-ummm," Lucy stuttered out in a state of panic. She didn't like all of this sudden attention.

"That's wonderful news," Erza said proudly, "Lucy, when we get back home I would like to spar with you."

Lucy didn't know what to say or do. On one hand she was thankful that Erza believed Orga and on the other hand she couldn't help but shoot Orga a ' _What the hell are you thinking, have you lost your goddamn mind?_ ' look which only amused the Sabertooth Mage.

Erza was quite surprised at how close Lucy and Orga seemed. She never would have guessed that the two would have successfully completed a mission together, let alone for the Sabertooth Mage to praise her friend. Erza watched in content as Frosch told Orga about a butterfly he saw the other day and how Lucy just smiled at the interaction between the cute Exceed and her Sabertooth partner. It looked like Erza didn't' have to worry about Lucy after all. Erza felt slightly ashamed of herself because she should know better than anyone else how brave Lucy is and how she can soften even the hardest of hearts.

The mages all listened politely as Frosch continued with his story; however, Lucy felt a chill run up her spine when she heard the deep voice of Laxus say behind them, "Erza, we have to get going. Gramps is expecting us back right away."

Erza nodded her head and once again thanked the Sabertooth Mages before excusing herself to go retrieve her mountain of bags from the inn. Lucy was just about to say something to Yukino when Laxus interrupted and said rudely, "Blondie, say your goodbyes and let's go."

Lucy could feel the rise in tension between Laxus and Orga again. Before Lucy went on this mission, the old her probably would have just nodded her head and listened, but frankly she was tired of being bossed around by everyone or treated like she couldn't make her own decisions. She had had a very stressful three weeks and she had had enough when she snapped back, "I'll say goodbye when I'm ready to. If you guys are in such a hurry to leave then leave. I know how to get back to Magnolia on my own."

"Frosch thinks so too," the little Exceed said as tears started to fill his eyes—clearly upset by all of the tension. Frosch noticed that Orga looked happy and Orga was happy because of Lucy. Frosch thought that Lucy was pretty and kind.

Lucy could hear Bickslow let out a low whistle and watched as the Seith Mage turned around to get the hell out of there and she heard Cana whisper, "Dumbass lightning fucktard acting like a goddamn caveman."

Lucy met Laxus's stormy eyes and saw the apparent shock on his face. She watched as his eyes darted past her to look at Orga and he said, "Sorry Blondie, take your time."

Lucy felt like a huge piece of crap when she watched Laxus walk away to go back to the inn. She knew that the reunion wasn't going to be an easy one, but she didn't expect it to turn out like this. But then Cana just shrugged her shoulders and said, "Take your time Lucy, we will wait."

Finally Rogue spoke up and said, "Normally I would not care if you wanted to take your time; however, Sting has been calling me every thirty minutes Orga."

"What the fuck for?" Orga asked clearly annoyed by all of the events.

Rogue also sounded annoyed and said, "I guess like Fairy Tail, he has a huge party planned for you and he can't wait for you to get back—it's why he keeps bothering me and he will probably call me again in a few minutes to check in again."

"I don't know how you put up with him sometimes," Orga said in exasperation.

"Normally I ignore him when he calls me that much, but Yukino is too nice and feels bad for him," Rogue responded with a slight smile towards Yukino.

Lucy couldn't help but let out a giggle at the Sabertooth mages' interactions with each other as Orga said, "Yukino, you just need to tell Sting to fuck off. I'm surprised he doesn't try and share a bed with you two."

"He's tried," Rogue responded darkly.

"I'm sorry," Yukino said with blush on her face, she hated making people feel bad.

Finally after a few moments of polite conversation, Yukino held Lucy's hand and said, "Lucy-san, I hope you can come visit us soon. It was so good to see you again."

"Frosch thinks so too!" Frosch chirped in agreement as the little Exceed placed a small kiss on Lucy's cheek.

Rogue also thanked Lucy for looking out for Orga and the three Sabertooth Mages excused themselves so that they could let Lucy and Orga say their goodbyes one more time.

Orga let out a heavy sigh and then Lucy apologized, "Sorry about my guild mates."

"You mean Laxus?" Orga said with a slight chuckle.

"Yeah," Lucy sighed out.

"Well it went better than I expected," Orga replied as he shrugged his shoulders.

"Wait that went better than you expected?! You must have been picturing something pretty dark," Lucy admitted as she shivered at the thought.

Orga just laughed and then said in a low voice, "I guess this really is goodbye, for now."

"Yeah," Lucy replied as she tried not to cry as she gave the Sabertooth Mage one more hug.

Orga could tell that Lucy was trying not to cry and it was killing him having to leave her like this. So to try to cheer her up he said, "You'll have to let me know how your fight with Titania goes when you get back."

Lucy just let out an exasperated laugh as her arms were still wrapped around Orga and his hands wer on her back. She looked up at him with a smile and said, "When I get back I was going to by my own communication lacrima so that we could talk."

"That would be nice," Orga said with a smile.

Then they saw Rogue, Yukino, and Frosch ready to go with their bags and Lucy felt her heart beat painfully as she said, "I guess you better go."

Orga nodded then bent down and whispered to Lucy, "I'll wait for you. So take as much time as you need." Then he kissed her cheek and went to go meet up with his friends as Lucy tried to fight back the tears that were starting to leak from her eyes.

* * *

"Laxus, what the hell was that?" Cana muttered as she stormed into Laxus's room where he was getting his things.

"What the fuck Cana? Don't you knock?" Laxus growled.

"What the fuck Laxus? Don't you have a brain?" Cana retorted, "I tell you not to act like caveman and what do you do? Boss Lucy around and make yourself look like an ass. The only way it could have gone worse is if you would have flung Lucy over your shoulder while you beat your chest and said 'Mine.'"

"Well that's what I wanted to do," Laxus grumbled under his breath. He couldn't help it as he thought about Lucy being in Orga's arms and how happy she looked. Plus whatever that little firework show was up on the mountain last night. All of it just pissed him off.

Before Cana could say more, Freed walked in as well to see what the commotion was. "What's wrong with Laxus?" Feed asked Cana.

"I'm right here and doesn't anyone knock," Laxus asked in annoyance.

"You talk to him Freed! He's being a huge barbaric dick-bag right now!" Cana complained to the Rune Mage before she stormed out to find some more alcohol to ease her nerves.

Freed arched his eyebrow at a very pissed off looking Laxus and asked dryly, "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really; just want to go home," Laxus answered gruffly.

Freed nodded his head and said, "I think I know you a little better than Cana, so I know you already know how much you messed up, but the damage is not irreversible."

"Thanks pal," Laxus remarked dryly.

"You are very welcome Laxus," Freed said proudly, not catching the sarcasm in his leader's voice, "However, you should still apologize to Lucy again."

"I already said sorry," Laxus retorted.

Then they heard Cana yell from the hall, "That was a piss fucking poor apology you lightning dildo!"

"Other than her vulgar terminology, I'd have to side with Cana on this one," Freed agreed.

"Fine, I'll apologize. You both happy now?" Laxus said just to get them both out of his hair.

Freed nodded his head whereas Cana continued to swear out in the hallway at the turn of events.

* * *

Lucy waited by one of the magical vehicles that Erza was loading her things into. She wasn't quite sure how she felt when she said goodbye to Orga and watched him leave with his guild mates. Of course she knew she would see him again, but he had become such a huge part in her life over the past few weeks and now things were going back to normal—sort of.

The Celestial Mage summoned out Plue who was also distraught about the Sabertooth Mage's absence. The little dog spirit had grown quite fond of Orga, he was tall and nice and when Lucy hadn't been looking at them in the library, Orga would sneak candy to Plue.

Lucy hugged Plue close to her chest before she heard Erza say, "That should do it."

Lucy just smiled and shook her head at Erza, because there was barely enough room for three people. It's a good thing that the Fairy Tail mages got two magical vehicles because even Laxus couldn't persuade Erza to take just one bag. Apparently the argument that Erza and Laxus got in was quite hilarious according to Cana. Although it sounded pretty scary to Lucy.

When the rest of their guild mates approached, Lucy could feel Laxus looking at her but she refused to make eye contact with him. She didn't know if she was just being overly sensitive, but he had annoyed her with his attitude while she was talking with her friends. It reminded her of how her father used to rush her with no regards to her feelings. Plus she didn't understand why everyone was in such a damn hurry.

"So where should we stop for the night?" Evergreen asked.

"Can't we just drive on through? There are plenty of us here to switch out with the vehicles," Cana whined.

Freed looked at a small book and said, "The last train to head to Magnolia leaves Oshibana at 9 p.m."

"We'd have to haul ass, especially if we have to unload all of Erza's goddamn bags," Bickslow added as his babies flew around and said 'Goddamn bags.'

Erza shot the Seith Mage a look before she said, "My bags won't be a problem."

"It's settled then. We will make the train tonight without stopping," Laxus said gruffly as he walked past Lucy.

Lucy looked at Erza and said, "I'll drive ours first."

Erza just nodded and climbed up in the seat next to Lucy as Plue sat between them. Whereas the Raijinshu, along with Laxus, took the other vehicle.

Cana walked over to the vehicle where Lucy and Erza were waiting then hollered back at Evergreen, "Ever, you sure you don't want to come with us? We will have a lot more fun."

The Fairy Mage just waved and replied, "Not sure I'd fit and we don't want Spark Plug to blow another gasket while we move Erza's things around."

Laxus rolled his eyes and decided that he'd take the first turn driving their car as Cana cracked up over Evergreen's statement. Whereas Erza muttered quietly, "I only packed the bare necessities."

Once Cana got into the seat above Lucy and Erza, obviously squished between two of Erza's suitcases, Lucy peeled out as she surged her magic through the vehicle and took off...leaving the others in their dust.

"Well this is going to be a super fun day," Bickslow murmured to Freed and Evergreen.

* * *

Lucy realized she was gritting her teeth and scowling as they drove towards Oshibana when Cana asked, "Lucy, you want to tell us what's bothering you?"

"Something's bothering Lucy?" Erza asked as she tried to unwrap a strawberry pastry snack.

Lucy couldn't help but smile at how blissfully unaware Erza was sometimes. Lucy sent Plue back and just let out a sigh and replied, "I'll be fine."

Cana wasn't convinced and asked, "Was it how Laxus treated you when you were talking to Sabertooth?"

"What?! Did he do something to you? Do I need to avenge you?" Erza asked in concern, although Lucy found it hard to take the red haired Mage seriously with her mouth full of pastry crumbs.

"He just...he just," Lucy tried to say and then just made a growling sound instead.

Cana nodded her head in understanding before she said, "I realize that he was out of line, but you should know that he's kind of been on edge since you left and I think he's just glad that you are back and he doesn't know how to tell you that. Everyone is really excited for you to get home."

Then Cana caught Lucy up on everything that she had missed; including the fight between Natsu and Gray and how they tried to disobey orders. As Lucy listened to Cana's tale, she couldn't help but lessen he anger towards Laxus a little. It sounded like the guild had been turned upside down while she was gone.

After Cana was finished, Erza added, "I will admit that when I first heard about you going on a mission with Orga that I was very upset."

"That's putting it mildly," Cana murmured as she took a swig of alcohol just before Erza snatched it away.

"It's dangerous to drive while intoxicated. You are banned from alcohol until the train and you are not driving until you are sober," Erza said firmly to Cana and ending that part of the conversation. Then she turned to Lucy and added, "I was worried the whole time you were gone, but the moment I saw you step off that mountain, in Orga's arms no less, I was happy that you looked so well and you and Orga seemed to make an agreeable team."

"Thank you Erza, he really was very good to me," Lucy said with a smile.

The conversation turned lighter after that, especially after Cana asked, "So Lucy, did you get to see Orga naked?"

"No!" Lucy screamed as her face turned bright red at the thought.

"My cake!" Erza cried out as she dropped her second strawberry snack off of the vehicle. The Requip Mage was blushing as badly as Lucy was from what Cana had asked and it had shocked her so much that she jumped and made her cake fall.

Cana just cracked herself up then saw Erza open another junk food pastry and asked, "Where in the hell are you getting all that food from?"

* * *

The Fairy Tail Mages finally made it to Magnolia in the middle of the night. They were the only ones left on the train and the town looked so different with no people out. The mages had barely made it to Oshibana on time and they only had to stop twice along the way and both times were because Cana had to pee.

Lucy yawned and said goodnight to Erza and Cana and told them that she would see them at the guild tomorrow afternoon, because she had some errands to run in the morning.

As Lucy walked down the darkened streets of Magnolia, she suddenly heard footsteps behind her. She turned the corner towards her apartment and heard that the footsteps were following her. Lucy grabbed Loke's and Lupus's keys and quickly turned around and got in a defensive position and said, "Back the fuck off."

However, much to Lucy's surprise, Laxus stood there with widened eyes as he said, "Damn Blondie, if I didn't know you that would have been pretty scary."

"Laxus, what the hell are you doing sneaking up on me? I could have hurt you," Lucy sighed as she put away her keys.

Laxus just laughed and said, "Yeah, I'd like to see that Blondie."

Lucy felt her anger flare up again at the comment, but decided to let it go since she was tired and just wanted to be back at her apartment and shower. Lucy remembered that Orga said Laxus had feelings for her and Lucy knew that Laxus wanted to be her friend. Plus Cana explained a little on the way home how Laxus wasn't good at communicating feelings, so Lucy tried to give him the benefit of the doubt because he had been so great before she went on her mission. They were all probably just tired and stressed.

Lucy realized that she had just been standing there staring at Laxus, when he said, "Um, I was just making sure that you made it home safe."

Lucy laughed at how cute and awkward Laxus looked and said, "Well next time you can just walk me home if you want instead of trailing me like a creeper."

Laxus just agreed to that and started walking next to Lucy, but her nerves were still trying to come down after her body had thought that she might have to fight someone. She looked over at the handsome blonde slayer and added, "And I could give you a good fight now."

Laxus let one side of his mouth curve up because was wondering if Lucy had caught that jab before he replied, "Oh I heard, Erza even wants to fight you."

"Ugggghhhh, don't remind me of that. If she tells Natsu then Natsu will want to fight which means that Gajeel and Gray will want to fight too," Lucy said as she slumped her shoulders, "My welcome home party better not be some weird fighting tournament."

That comment got a booming laugh out of Laxus and he said, "I don't think you'll have to worry about that since Cana and Mira have been planning it via communication lacrima."

"Oh great so instead of a fight I'll have to worry about Cana trying to get me drunk and Mira getting me hooked up with someone," Lucy whined.

"It is Fairy Tail, so you'll probably have to worry about all three," Laxus pointed out with a grin.

"True," Lucy agreed with a smile at Laxus.

A few moments of awkward silence fell between the two before Laxus asked, "So what are you doing in the morning?"

"Besides sleeping in, I'm going to go to the bank and open a savings account now that I actually have enough jewels to do so. I'm also going to go ahead and give my landlady my next six months of rent but I'm going to look into other living options later. Then finally before I go to the guild I want to buy my own communication lacrima," Lucy stated proudly then turned to Laxus and asked, "What about you?"

"Sleep in too and run some errands. Would you want to catch lunch together?" Laxus asked before he smirked and said, "That way you can tell me about the rest of the dream you had about me."

Lucy stopped dead in her tracks and looked at the sexy man next to her and said, "In your dreams perv, but lunch with you does sound nice. Where did you have in mind?"

Laxus just chuckled at Lucy's first statement and then replied, "How about I meet you at your place and then I'll surprise you."

Lucy had no idea what kind of surprise Laxus could have but she agreed to meet him at Noon at her place just as they finally reached Lucy's apartment. She was amazed at how Laxus could go from awkward to sexy in a matter of seconds.

Lucy turned to Laxus and said, "Thanks for walking me home, but can I ask you a favor?"

"Anything Blondie," Laxus said with a wink.

Lucy just rolled her eyes and asked, "Can you use that creepy nose you Slayers have to see if anyone is in my apartment."

Laxus's smile vanished at the request and did what was asked, because if there was anyone in Lucy's apartment then they wouldn't be there for very long because he would kick their ass out.

After a few seconds, Laxus said slightly annoyed, "It's all clear. Were you expecting someone?"

"No, I just wanted to make sure Natsu wasn't up there waiting to pounce," Lucy said with a smile.

"Gramps still has him on lockdown at the guild until you get back and technically they don't know you're back yet," Laxus said, making Lucy laugh again in the process.

"Well that's good to know. So I'll see you tomorrow?" Lucy said as she started to turn the knob to her apartment building.

Laxus nodded and replied, "Yep, see you tomorrow Blondie and I'm glad you are back."

* * *

Lucy opened her eyes and groaned as she looked at the clock and it said 9 a.m. She barely got any sleep because she realized last night when she went to bed that Orga was not by her side. Her bed had suddenly felt uncomfortable and irritating without the God Slayer next to her making her feel safe and at ease. She put her hand over her heart at the pain she suddenly felt because of his absence.

Lucy wished that she could stay in and get a little more sleep, but she really had a lot to do this morning so she slowly crawled out of bed. Tomorrow morning, if she wasn't too hung over, she was going to continue her training schedule that Orga had had her on. She planned on making a meal calendar too so that she could stay in top physical condition; however, she already decided that Fridays would be her cheat day.

Lucy finished getting ready as she put on a loose fitting gray tank top to go with her black shorts. Lucy was ready for summer to end and turn to fall. She looked at her calendar and smiled since October was just a few weeks away. Then Lucy grabbed her extra jewels and keys and set out to run her errands, but not before a slight frown appeared on her face as she wondered what Orga was doing this morning.

* * *

It was 11:55 when Lucy finally made it back to her apartment to drop her things off. She quickly ran back down the stairs where she saw the hunky Dragon Slayer waiting for her.

"Hey Laxus!" Lucy called out as she waved.

"Hey Blondie, right on time," Laxus replied.

"So where are we going?" Lucy asked because she was starving, all she had yesterday was Erza's snack food since they didn't stop to eat.

"There's a little cafe on the edge of town that is run by a nice family," Laxus replied as he started to lead the way, "Then afterwards I promised Gramps I'd bring you to the guild so he could go over your mission with you and don't worry because Mira is keeping Natsu busing with decorating today."

"Wait, Master knows you are taking me to lunch?" Lucy asked in shock.

Laxus shrugged his shoulders and said, "He weaseled it out of me when I left the guild this morning because I had to go in to do some paperwork before my other errands."

Lucy just prayed to the gods above that Mira didn't know about the lunch. She knew she would already have to avoid the beautiful Mage about Orga and she didn't need Mira also fantasizing about Laxus and her as well. Mira was so crazy she'd probably fantasize about all three of them in bed together and run bets on which Lightning Mage would get her pregnant first. As hot as having both men sounded to Lucy, because Cana and Erza's books had rubbed off on her, the idea of a threesome with both men was beyond terrifying. They were both too possessive and she'd probably get hurt in the process because of their dick measuring contest. But then Lucy's thoughts went even more perverted as she imagined both Orga and Laxus naked on top of her.

"Earthland to Blondie," Laxus said as he put his hand on Lucy's head.

"Kyyyyaaaaaa!" Lucy yelled as her perverted thoughts were broken by the sound of Laxus's concerned voice.

Laxus just stared at her in confusion and said, "Your face got really red and I could tell that your heart rate increased."

"Goddamn your stupid heightened senses. I'm just fine!" Lucy stated now quite flustered and continued walking.

Her face was still flushed when Laxus chuckled and asked, "Thinking dirty thoughts about my body again?"

"N-no!" Lucy tried to say.

"You're a terrible liar Blondie," Laxus said with a smirk.

"And you're an arrogant bastard, Laxus Dreyar!" Lucy huffed which only made the Lightning Mage laugh harder.

The two finally arrived at a little cafe that had a blue and white striped cloth overhang and cute little tables outside with small wild flowers in vases. It was so cute a peaceful as a few elderly people sat outside reading their papers.

"You can have a seat Blondie, I'll be back," Laxus said.

When Lucy picked out a table and watched Laxus go inside, she smiled as the elderly men and women said, "Hi Laxus!"

Lucy was somewhat surprised at how Laxus's face softened at them and he greeted them. Lucy wished she had Slayer hearing so she could know what he was saying to them. Then suddenly one of the elderly women turned around to look at Lucy then turned to Laxus and gave him a big smile before Laxus went into the restaurant.

It was only a few minutes before Laxus came out with some drinks and sat down next to her and said, "I went ahead and ordered for us since I know what the best things are."

Lucy took the water and said, "Ok, anything sounds good at this point. I'm starving. By the way, do you know those people?"

Lucy motioned with her head towards the elderly people as Laxus said, "Yeah, when I was a kid I used to hang out in this part of town so you could say that they are like extended grandparents because they watched me grow up. They are all close friends with Gramps and they love the guild a lot."

"That's so cute!" Lucy said with a smile.

"I guess," Laxus replied, "I went and apologized to each of them for what I did to the guild once we got back from Tenroujima. They were just like how grandparents are, gave me a good talking to then offered me food."

Lucy just laughed and said, "That sounds nice that you had so many people worried about you. Master is the closest thing I have to a Grandfather, besides Crux. Except I hope my Grandfather wouldn't slap my ass the way Master does with me."

The comment made Laxus laugh again and he said, "Well you can see then where I get my perverted sense of humor from."

Then their food was brought out by a sweet elderly man. He placed pastas, salads, gyros, and a decadent chocolate dessert out for them. When he excused himself, Lucy saw that the man gave Laxus a thumbs up—which elicited a smile from Lucy. She dug in after Laxus explained all the dishes. Then after she took her first bite, she knew she'd have to come here again. Levy and Wendy would love it.

Lucy took another bite and then asked, "So did you do anything fun while I was gone?"

Laxus raised his eyebrows and said, "You mean besides protecting the guild from Dumbass One and Dumbass Two? No, not really."

"Sorry about that," Lucy said with a grimace since she knew that Natsu and Gray freaked out because of her.

"They're grown ass men, they should know better," Laxus stated bluntly.

The two just talked about random things and Lucy noticed how Laxus never asked her any questions about the mission. Maybe he was waiting since he'd be there when Lucy explained everything to Master, but still she felt a little hurt.

Finally when Lucy had had her fill, she sighed and said, "Thank you Laxus that was amazing!"

"No problem, I figured you'd need a decent amount of food in you since when you are done talking to Gramps, Cana will probably put something in you immediately that's 40 proof or higher. Plus, think of it as our first meal together as friends," Laxus said as he laid down the jewels for the food.

"Let me help with that!" Lucy said as she reached for her bag.

"No way Blondie, that was your welcome home lunch," Laxus said as he took her hand so that she wouldn't put any money down, "We have to get you to the guild."

Then the Lightning Dragon slayer escorted her to the guild as all the elderly couples waved goodbye to them.

* * *

Lucy and Laxus stood outside the guild hall and Laxus looked at her and asked, "Are you ready for the chaos to begin?"

"As ready as I'll ever be I suppose," Lucy said with a smile.

Laxus opened the doors and then the loud chaos erupted as everyone shouted "WELCOME HOME LUCY!"

Lucy smiled and said, "Hey Everyone!"

"Luce!" Natsu yelled as he jumped over everyone.

"Lusheeeee!" Happy cried out as he flew towards his teammate.

Natsu grabbed Lucy and held her in a bone crushing hug and Happy latched onto her face and cried, "We've missed you so much!"

"Hai, hai," Lucy tried to respond but Natsu was crushing her.

"Oi, let her breathe," Laxus said in annoyance as he pulled Natsu off of Lucy.

"Fight me Laxus!" Natsu demanded as the Lightning Slayer rolled his eyes and allowed other people to greet Lucy too.

"Hey Lucy," Gray said with a smile before he gave Lucy a big hug too, but wasn't painful like Natsu's. However, Happy remained perched on Lucy's head.

Everyone lined up to welcome Lucy home and only a few snide remarks about Orga were made which Lucy tried to brush off as though she didn't hear them.

But just as Lucy predicted, when Mira came through she said, "Oh my, three weeks in a castle with a sexy man. Oh my god your babies would be so cute with that mint green hair and your brown eyes! Ahhhhh! You could even name her Mint! Can Freed and I be the godparents?"

"If anyone is going to be Mint's godparent then it's me," Erza stated with certainty.

Lucy sweatdropped at how things were already quickly getting out of hand and she heard Natsu ask, "Who's Mint?"

"They llllllllllike each other," Happy snickered on top of Lucy's head.

Then Lucy saw that Laxus was once again looking rather annoyed by the turn of events; however, Master Makarov stood up on the balcony and yelled, "Listen up brats! Lucy and Team Natsu will come up to my office so I can hear how Lucy's mission went. Try to keep it down until then, but soon we will party harder than we ever have before!"

The guild let out a cheer, but obliged by Master's orders as Lucy followed her team up the stairs behind Laxus. Once they all got comfortable, Lucy gave Master Makarov his extra communication lacrima back and took a seat across from his desk where Mavis and Master Makarov were sitting.

"Now my child, tell us what had happened to you," Master Makarov asked kindly.

Lucy talked for over an hour. She explained why the mission had to be completed by her and Orga, what would have happened to people who entered the mountain besides them, who Mr. Yamagata was and that he knew Lucy's mother. She explained Andromeda's and Lupus's past and the curse that was put on Andromeda; then how it had affected her mind and made her see visions about everyone dying or the figures that tormented her. She explained the plan that Mr. Yamagata had and talked about how Orga trained her every morning so that she could summon five golden keys at once and she had to study every afternoon to figure out a way to defeat Andromeda.

Then she explained the final showdown and told them about the spell she had found from her mom and that it was the key to freeing Andromeda and apparently protected Shirotsume as well.

When Lucy was finished, she grew nervous at everyone's silence and looked over at Laxus who had a serious expression on his face, but he was staring down at the ground.

The silence was finally broken by Natsu jumping up and yelling, "Lucy, fight me!"

Lucy just sighed as Master Makarov told Natsu to be quiet. The elderly Guild Master walked around his desk and held Lucy's hand. He had a few tears in his eyes when he said, "You really are a special young lady. We are so proud of you and thank you for saving all of us and all Fiore for that matter."

Lucy then explained to Master how Mr. Yamagata requested how very few people should know about the true events that happened, so other Celestial Spirits don't get hurt like Andromeda did by dark mages. She also asked if the guild could meet Andromeda and Lupus today, because Lucy wanted to show them that Fairy Tail was filled with good people but that the men must refrain from making comments about Andromeda so that she doesn't get scared.

Master Makarov agreed with everything and thought that the advice was wise. Everyone in the room pledged to not speak of the details of Lucy's mission with anyone other than the people in the room. Even Natsu and Happy took the request silly, because they really liked the Celestial Spirits and didn't want people to hurt them. Then Master Makarov lead them back out to the guild where everyone was smiling and waiting patiently for them.

Master Makarov stood on the bar and got everyone's attention again and gave everyone an extremely edited version of Lucy's story where he left out the source of the magic and any involvement of Lupus and Andromeda. Then he said, "Now, we have two new additions to our Celestial Spirit friends that Lucy met on her adventure. I ask the men in the guild to control themselves because not all Celestial Mages are as kind as our Lucy, some have abusive pasts and they all have back stories just like we do so please welcome them."

Lucy smiled warmly at Master Makarov and said, "Thank you."

Then Lucy summoned out Andromeda, Lupus, and Loke so that Loke could show Andromeda and Lupus that they had nothing to fear.

Lucy looked at everyone and said, "These are my new family members; Andromeda, The Chained Lady, and Lupus, The Wolf."

The members of Fairy Tail shouted out a welcome to the spirits and Lupus and Andromeda stood in awe. Lucy then introduced them to her team where Erza asked Lupus about the sword on his hip and Happy asked Andromeda if she liked fish.

Lucy introduced them to Master and Mira next, where Mira fangirled over how cute a couple Andromeda and Lupus were. Next they met Team Shadow Gear with Gajeel and Lily; Wendy and Carla; Laxus and the Raijinshu.

Lucy enjoyed introducing them to the Connell family because Asuka greeted them all with a hug and she told Andromeda how pretty she was, but then asked if she could pet Lupus's ears—to which the spirit smiled and allowed.

They finished making their rounds and she was so happy that Lupus and Andromeda were more at ease, even Lucy was impressed that Macao and Wakaba were nothing but perfect gentlemen. The two spirits thanked everyone then returned to the spirit realm; however, Loke stayed behind for the welcome back party.

Once Lupus and Andromeda had returned, Master said, "Thank you my children for being so patient and kind, but now let's party!"

Cheers went up and Cana yelled, "Lucy get over here we are starting with shots!"

Lucy looked over at Laxus who gave her an  _'I told you so'_  look before Cana pushed a shot of tequila in her hand and yelled, "Let's go!"

* * *

Wendy and Romeo had agree to babysit Asuka for Al and Bisca so that they could enjoy the festivities; however, Happy and talked Carla into staying. The afternoon turned into night and almost everyone was extremely drunk. Mira had organized all sorts of games and every chance she got, she tried to corner Lucy about Orga.

But then the Demon Mage remembered and yelled out, "Happy, didn't Natsu want to tell Lucy something when she got back?!"

"Aye!" Happy yelled in return sadly. The poor Exceed had gotten roped into flying a drunken Carla around the guild.

"Oh yeah, I did!" Natsu yelled as he bounded over to Lucy.

Gray came over too with a scowl on his face as the guild got deathly silent. Lucy looked at everyone in confusion as all eyes were on her. However Lucy noticed how Laxus's eyes were glaring at Natsu. Lucy was definitely feeling the alcohol as she wondered if Laxus's face could get stuck like that.

Mira was twirling around when Natsu grabbed Lucy's hands and put his forehead to hers. There were gasps going around the room and Lucy could hear people say, _"Oh my god is he actually going to do it?"; "Confessing feelings is manly!"; "What about Gray?"_ and  _"Love Rival!"_

Lucy looked into Natsu's onyx eyes as he said, "Lucy, ever since the games we haven't been able to go on many missions together. I wanted to tell you that I feel like you are my sister and best friend and I've missed having you around because you make me smile and bring out the best in me. Missions just aren't the same without your weirdness."

A very tipsy Lucy replied, "Awwwwwww, Natsu! That's so sweet I've missed you too! If I'm like your sister though what am I too Happy?"

"You're my Grandma," Happy snickered and then was whipped by Carla for speaking out of turn.

"Oh my god," Gray groaned as he slapped his hand to his face.

"What the hell did you get so worked up for then Gray?" Max shouted as he remembered how the guild was in chaos when Happy told them that Natsu wanted to tell Lucy something.

"Maybe Gray still likes her," Wakaba added cheekily.

Lucy blinked at Gray as he sighed and said, "I think of Lucy as a sister too and I just didn't want her dating Ash Breath because she's too good for him."

"Thank God!" Juvia screamed.

"Date?" Lucy asked now confused as Mira shook her head in disappointment and sat a margarita down in front of Lucy.

"What was that Ice Prick?! I'd make Lucy a way better boyfriend than you would, you exhibitionist!" Natsu yelled.

"Yeah right! You wouldn't even know where to put your dick in her you Malfunctioning Toaster Oven!" Gray responded as he and Natsu butted heads.

"Why would I put my dick in her you weirdo!?" Natsu shouted back.

"See, you are an idiot!" Gray yelled back.

The room suddenly got dark and everyone shook as a very drunk Erza said, "Enough." Then the drunken Requip Mage knocked both Natsu and Gray out.

"If anyone is sticking their dick in Lucy then it's going to be Orga so that Mint can live freely!" Erza declared as she put her foot on top of Natsu's head as though she had just claimed new land and held her sword proudly in the air.

Mira cheered for Erza's statement in the sudden drunken excitement, whereas everyone else looked really confused.

"Laxus has lightning too though!" Cana yelled out as she hiccupped over a barrel of wine and added, "Their babies would be hot too Mira!"

"Oh my god! Little blonde twins!" Mira cried as she grabbed Lucy and drug her over to a shocked Laxus as she forced Lucy into Laxus's lap, "The girl could be Lux and the boy could be Lucius!"

"Master!" Mira called over to the drunken guild master, "Wouldn't you like Laxus and Lucy to have babies together?!"

"Of course I would! I'm team LaLu!" Master yelled as he threw off his coat to reveal a white T-shirt that he had made himself that read 'LALU.'

"But I want Mint!" Erza demanded as she threw down a gauntlet that she had equipped out.

"Well I want LaLu twins!" Cana said aggressively as she picked up the gauntlet to challenge Erza.

"I want all of it!" Mira cheered, "Mint, LaLu twins, and whoever else Lucy wants!"

Everyone was so drunk that they just laughed at it all and everyone started debating on who Lucy should end up with. Other names were thrown out there too; like Hibiki, Lyon, Gajeel (which made Levy fall out of her chair), and Sting, because he was like Natsu but with actual sex appeal. Lucy thought she even heard someone yell out Cobra's name.

Everyone laughed and goaded the three mages as Mira, Erza, and Cana tried to drunkenly fight for Lucy's future pretend children.

Lucy finally realized that she was still in Laxus's lap, so she tried to move before he noticed that she was starting to get flustered, but then she felt Laxus's strong arm wrap around her waist. His stormy eyes looked at her and he asked, "Want to get out of here for a bit?"

* * *

The beat of the music was loud and Orga stared down at his beer. Most of Sabertooth was dancing or playing games; however, he sat in a corner with Rogue, Yukino, Frosch, and Rufus. He just wanted to go home.

"So how was your time with Ms. Heartfilia?" Rufus asked Orga.

"Fine," Orga responded as he took a drink of his beer.

"Frosch thinks Lucy is pretty," Frosch told Rufus.

The comment from the small Exceed made Orga smile slightly and Rogue, Yukino, and Rufus all noticed.

"Lucy is really amazing," Yukino said, "I hope she can come visit us soon."

Then before the pleasant conversation could continue, Sting ran up and asked, "What gives Orga? Not enjoying your party? I thought you'd like the music!"

"The music is just fine," Orga responded in his monotone voice.

"Well I got a surprise for you that should pick you up," Sting stated in confidence.

The Sabertooth Master snapped his fingers and the music stopped and the lights went out. Suddenly a sensual beat started to thump and everyone in the guild stopped talking. A single spotlight hit their stage as a scantily clad woman in a belly dancer outfit appeared and began to dance in tune with the music.

"She's all yours for the night Orga," Sting said with a wink.

"That's despicable!" Yukino said as angrily as she could and then slapped Sting's shoulder.

Sting's feelings were hurt by Yukino's sudden disgust in him as he whined, "What?"

"Even I have no memory of you being so slimy, Sting," Rufus said in agreement to Yukino's disapproval.

"Frosch thinks so too!" the Exceed said as he shook his head.

"After I get back from a long job I'm always looking for a good fuck!" Sting said in his own defense.

"It sounds like you should be with Cana then," Rogue said to Sting, because he clearly had been listening to the conversation at breakfast a few days prior.

"I'll see you guys tomorrow," Orga said, ignoring the conversation, as he left the guild.

Sting sat with his lip out in a pout as his friends looked at him in annoyance. Then Sting said, "I was just testing a theory."

"What theory would that be?" Rogue asked in exasperation.

"That Orga likes Blondie," Sting admitted.

"You couldn't just ask him like a normal person?" Rogue responded dryly.

"Like he would tell me!" Sting argued.

"Probably for reasons like you throwing prostitutes at him," Rufus replied.

"Cinnamon is not a prostitute! She's a fan of Orga's!" Sting stated proudly.

"She has the name of a prostitute," Yukino said as she crossed her arms.

"So?!" Sting pouted.

"Did you pay for her services?" Rogue asked.

"Yes," Sting whispered out in slow realization.

"Then she's a prostitute or stripper or it appears to be a combination of both," Rufus stated as he looked at the stage.

"Frosch thinks so too," Frosch chimed in.

Sting gawked at the stage and said, "Oh my god, I accidentally got him a prostitute. Shit!" Then the Sabertooth Master ran to the stage to stop the performance.

Yukino sighed at Sting as Rufus shook his head and said, "Still, it is very interesting that our Orga has fallen for Ms. Heartfilia."

"I think it's sweet," Yukino said with a smile.

"Frosch thinks so too," Frosh said as he sipped on his soda. Orga was one of the Exceed's favorite people and he liked that Orga smiled by Lucy.

"Yes, but it appears he will receive some opposition," Rogue said.

"From Natsu?" Rufus inquired.

Rogue shook his head no and answered, "From Laxus."

"Well that's very dramatic," Rufus stated as they continued to watch Sting as he tried to cover up the half-naked woman on stage.

"I think the Fairy Tail Mages forgot that I could hear just as well as their Slayers," Rogue admitted.

"I know we all made mistakes in the past, except for you Yukino because you are an angel, but Orga deserves to be happy. He's done so much for this guild," Rufus stated seriously.

"He's really changed," Yukino agreed.

"Guess we will just have to support him," Rogue said and they all agreed to help their guild mate win Lucy's heart.


	33. Chapter 33

Lucy could feel her face heat up by Laxus's question. Her mind was swirling from the alcohol, but then suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder and heard Loke say, "Excuse me Laxus, but I need a word with my Master."

Laxus narrowed his eyes at the Lion Spirit, but Loke grabbed Lucy's hand anyways and said, "Princess, I must speak with you." Then he removed her from Laxus's lap and escorted her away.

No one seemed to noticed that Loke had snuck Lucy away from the party and outside towards the pool area, besides Laxus. Once they were outside, Lucy who was feeling very buzzed asked, "What's wrong Loke?"

Loke just smiled and said, "Nothing, I just thought you looked like you could use some fresh air." Then Loke walked Lucy over to one of the lounge chairs and made her sit as he handed her a bottle of water.

Lucy looked at it then up at Loke and asked, "What's this for?"

"Well I thought we could train in the morning, so you don't want to be too hungover," Loke said as he took a seat in a lounger next to her.

Lucy decided to drink the water anyways, even though she wasn't buying Loke's weak story. However, it was nice to escape the party for a bit and look up at the clear night sky with one of her closest friends. She honestly felt kind of overwhelmed with everything and she found herself missing the simplicity of being up on the mountain alone with Orga. There weren't people trying to tell her how to live her life, who she should be with, or whose children she should have. Besides saving Fiore from total destruction, it had been a really fun mission.

Lucy's thoughts were broken when Loke suddenly asked, "Do you want to talk about it?"

She looked over at Loke who was also leaning back and looking up at the stars and she asked, "Did you bring me out here so that I could clear my head?"

Loke just smiled and said, "I could tell that you were getting pretty drunk and I just don't want you to do anything that you'll regret. I don't think Laxus intended to have sex with you, but I could sense that you were feeling overwhelmed."

"I was. We just got back from a huge mission. Everyone is being so nice, but I can't help but feel like the world is different now. I don't know if I can explain it," Lucy said honestly.

"The world probably does seem different because you are different. You are a different person now than you were when you started the mission. You were constantly doubting yourself and your abilities. Have you doubted your abilities since you came down from the mountain?" Loke asked.

"No, I haven't, but I feel like others have a little…" Lucy said in a quiet tone before she drank the water that Loke had given her. Then her eyebrows furrowed together and she admitted to Loke, "I don't know why…but I almost feel…lonely. Being here with you is probably the most relaxed I have felt since I got back home. I guess I feel like everyone is rushing me to make decisions and do things."

Lucy saw Loke grin, but she couldn't exactly tell why he was grinning when he said, "Maybe you are lonely because you are missing someone."

Lucy laughed and then asked, "So if LaLu means Laxus and Lucy, then I take it OrLu means Orga and Lucy?"

"I was wondering when you would figure that out," Loke laughed.

"Let me guess, you already have an opinion on who I should end up with like everyone else?" Lucy looked at him questioningly.

Loke just smirked and replied, "Maybe I do and maybe I don't."

"You totally do! I can tell by your smug face!" Lucy laughed as she tried to swat him with her hand, but then more seriously Lucy asked, "Would you tell me your opinion if I asked?"

Loke just smiled and said, "Not yet, right now I just want you to enjoy the moment. Maybe try to go on a mission with your team so you can clear you head. I understand that you are attracted to both men, but don't feel rushed or pressured into anything you are not ready for. If they really care about you, then they will be patient."

"Thanks Loke, you are a really good friend and thank you for your help these past few weeks. I wouldn't have made it without you guys," Lucy said kindly.

"I'll always be here for you Lucy," Loke said before he joked, "You could also just ditch Orga and Laxus and run away with me."

The comment just made Lucy laugh harder and then she and Loke just talked about random things as Lucy started to sober up.

Finally Lucy sighed and said, "I guess I better go back to my party."

"Probably," Loke said with a chuckle then asked, "Do you need me to go with you?"

Lucy shook her head no and replied, "I'm just going to find my team, if they aren't too trashed, and ask them if they can go on a mission the day after tomorrow. I want to relax tomorrow at my apartment and train with you guys in the morning."

"That sounds like a good idea," Loke said before he added, "If you need me though to come back again, just let me know."

"Thanks Loke," Lucy said quietly then gave her Lion Spirit a friendly hug.

Once Loke went back, Lucy decided to head back in. She just smiled as everyone was still going strong. She quickly found her team and ran over to them. Sadly Erza was so drunk that she was slumped over onto a table, but Natsu and Gray were surprisingly calm and just eating.

When she got next to them, Natsu smiled and said, "Hey Luce, where have you been?!"

"Just talking with Loke," Lucy said with a smile as she took a seat next to Gray before she asked, "I was wondering if we could all go on a mission the day after tomorrow."

"That sounds fun, but unfortunately it will just have to be a day mission because Master said in three days I have to leave to go on another Request Mission," Gray sighed out.

"Same with me and Erza too, but I think even you too Lucy. I heard Master say something to Laxus about you getting another request and he'd talk to you about it tomorrow," Natsu said with a pout.

"This sucks," Lucy groaned and her friends nodded their head in agreement.

"I'm ready for these stupid requests to be done so we can go back to normal," Gray sighed as he put his hands behind his head.

Lucy just sighed then said, "Well I'm going to call it a night, because I hardy slept last night and it's not the most fun thing to be one of the few sober people around a bunch of drunks. You guys want to meet for lunch here tomorrow so we can pick a day mission together?"

"Sounds good Luce! You owe Happy a fish and me a punishment," Natsu said with a cheeky grin.

"Careful Natsu, you are starting to sound like Virgo," Lucy laughed at her friend.

"Aw man, I miss Virgo. You'll have to let us see her on our mission," Natsu added as he shoved some pizza into his face.

"I'm sure that she's missed you guys too. See you tomorrow!" Lucy said as she waved goodbye to her friends and headed towards the door. She was going to say goodnight to Laxus, but didn't see him anywhere, so she decided to head home.

* * *

It was almost midnight by the time Lucy got done showering and ready for bed. Her legs started to ache from exhaustion as she laid down and pulled her covers up over her. The moon was full and bright as it shone in through her window; however, as Lucy looked at the moon, she realized that once again she felt like she couldn't sleep.

She tossed and turned, but nothing helped. Then she looked over at her desk and saw her new communication lacrima and wondered if Orga was still awake. It was really late, but she really wanted to talk to him and see how he was doing. So she bucked up some courage and reached for it. She took a deep breath and then attempted to call her friend.

It only took a few seconds and then Orga answered and his eyes widened in surprise as he said, "Hey Tiny, how are you?"

"I'm good. Did I wake you though?" Lucy asked now very worried.

"No, I couldn't sleep," Orga admitted.

"Same here, I couldn't really sleep last night either," Lucy said with a weak smile. Lucy didn't want to be a downer though so she asked, "So how was your welcome home party?"

"Uggghhhh, horrible. Sting was an idiot as usual. I actually left early," Orga replied in his monotone voice.

Lucy just laughed and asked, "Do I want to know what happened?"

"Not unless you want to hear me call Sting stupid a hundred different ways," Orga chuckled, but then asked, "What about you? How was your party?"

"I left early too," Lucy admitted with a smile, "It got pretty intense, as do most Fairy Tail parties, but Loke rescued me from it so that I could relax."

Lucy noticed that Orga got a funny smile on his face, but then Lucy added, "I figured out what OrLu meant though." Her honesty made Orga crack up which made her laugh too.

They talked for a while and Lucy told him about how she was going to get to go on a day mission with her team finally the day after tomorrow and about how Natsu said something about how she was supposed to go on another request, but would get the details tomorrow. Orga also had another request, but this time he and Rufus would be going together.

As they talked about random things, Lucy felt her eyes starting to grow heavy and Orga asked, "Tiny, do you need to get off so that you can get some sleep?"

Lucy's eyes shot open and she knew that she was only feeling tired because Orga's voice was comforting her. Orga then sighed and said, "Tell me what's wrong."

"How do you know something is wrong?" Lucy asked in surprise.

"Because you always stick out your mouth a little when you are debating something in your head and your brows furrow together," Orga admitted with a slight smile.

Lucy just laughed and felt a little flattered that Orga knew small details like that. She looked at him and admitted, "Last night and even before I called you tonight…I realized I can't sleep because you aren't here."

There was a brief pause before Orga replied, "Same with me. It doesn't feel the same without you next to me, but you still need more time to decide what you want."

Lucy felt tears in her eyes, because she felt so selfish. She hated the thought of hurting Orga—or Laxus. But then Orga said, "But, I'll stay on with you until you fall asleep if that will help."

"You don't have to do that," Lucy whispered sadly.

"I know I don't, but I want to. I miss you like crazy and if this will help you then that will make me happy and it will make me sleep better too," Orga said with a yawn.

Lucy just smiled and said, "Orga you're the best."

He just smiled back at her and replied, "I know."

The two talked together for a few more minutes and then Lucy couldn't fight the sleep off any longer as her eyes closed in mid-sentence. Ogra just smiled as she fell asleep and then before he cut the connection off he whispered, "Goodnight Tiny."

* * *

Lucy woke up, ready to start the day. She looked down and saw that she was still clutching her communication lacrima and smiled as she recalled her conversation with Orga last night. Then she blushed as she remembered sitting in Laxus's lap and knew that today would probably be awkward as hell since she didn't get to say goodbye to him last night.

She finally stretched in her bed then got up and grabbed a pair of short back cotton shorts and a breathable tank top, because she was going to train with her spirits in the forest so that she could get some fresh air. After she changed and laced up her running shoes, she went to grab her keys and noticed a black armband sitting next to them with a note from Virgo that read:

_Hime-sama,_

_We wanted to give you a welcome home present. We made this band for you that will hold our keys better while you are training. We hope you like it._

_-Virgo_

_P.S. I hope this present is worth some punishment._

Lucy just laughed and shook her head at Virgo's comment and then placed the keys into the pouch which fit perfectly. She fastened the Velcro strap around her arm and then grabbed her iLacrima and put her earbuds in and started blaring one of her favorite songs that always got her pumped and ready to go,  _Cherry Bomb_. She ran down the stairs of her apartment and did a few quick stretches outside as she muttered to the beat of the music blaring in her ears, "Ch-ch-ch-ch cherry bomb," and ran towards the forest.

* * *

She trained for several hours in an open space in the forest. Loke and Capricorn helped her with her hand to hand combat since Orga wasn't there to help her. They decided to teach her how to fight off two different opponents at the same time and how to break holds against two people. Then Lupus and Sagittarius started training her on how to use weapons. Sagittarius began to teach her the basics in archery and Lupus began teaching her the basics of swordsman ship, but he said they would first start training with staves. However, Lupus did show her one of his techniques and Lucy stood in awe as Lupus cut down a tree with just the power of the wind from his blade.

Finally Horologium told her that it was nearing time for her to meet her team at the guild. She felt exhausted, but in a good way, and had planned her training so that she would have to run buck to the guild and that would finish off her five mile run. She thanked her spirits for training her and told them how she had a mission tomorrow so she wasn't sure when she would have to leave for it yet, but promised to make time to at least run. Then Lucy took a drink from the water bottle that Virgo had brought for her and started her run towards the guild.

* * *

When Lucy arrived at the guild, she didn't see her team yet. When she pulled out her earbuds she heard Mira say, "Good Afternoon Lucy! You look adorable in your workout attire."

Lucy just laughed at Mira, because Lucy knew that she probably looked like a sweaty mess, but she didn't care. "Hey Mira, have you my team yet?" Lucy asked with a fatigued smile.

"Not yet, but Master said he wants to talk to you and that you should head up to see him. Can I get you anything for when you come back down? Do you want me to make you a strawberry milkshake?" Mira said to Lucy as the barmaid dried some plates.

Lucy shook her head no and asked, "Could I just get a water and maybe a grilled chicken, strawberry, spinach salad?"

Mira blinked a few times at Lucy as she bounded up the stairs. The Demon Mage just quietly said, "Sure thing Lucy."

Lucy just waved and thanked Mira before she knocked on Master Makarov's door. She heard him to tell her to come in and then she asked, "Master, Mira said you wanted to see me?"

Lucy looked around as Master Makarov put a stack of papers away in his desk. She was still surprised that Laxus was nowhere to be found, then Master Makarov broke her thoughts when he asked, "So did you enjoy the party last night Lucy?"

"It was pretty interesting," Lucy laughed out as Master motioned for her to take a seat.

"Our parties usually are; however, that's not why I called you up here. I actually received a special request for you during the celebration last night. There have been several attacks on and around the people of Oak Town, where Phantom Lord used to be, Laxus and Freed left last night during the party to assist in the situation; however, you have also been called to Oak Town by the Town's Mayor, Mr. Mori, who is apparently a dear friend of your Mr. Yamagata. During one of the attacks, the city's records were broken into and Mr. Mori and his wife have been desperately trying to reorganize the lost records and catalog everything, but that has been nearly impossible with the attacks. Mr. Yamagata informed them that you would be of great assistance to them and would be able to get their records back in shape in no time while also being able to help if another attack happens," Master Makarov stated seriously.

"What kind of attacks?" Lucy asked in concern as she realized that Laxus must have left while she was talking to Loke. She suddenly felt terrible for taking a break from the party.

"There have been several disappearances and robberies. Young girls are being taken from the surrounding area and not just from Oak Town. I'm afraid you will have to leave today, because Bickslow and Ever are heading out around 4 p.m. because they had a job early this morning that they were doing, but are planning to meet up with Laxus and Freed tonight," Master Makarov informed Lucy before he added kindly, "I know you miss your team, but this is very important and actually your team's special request missions all got moved up to start tomorrow as well."

Lucy smiled faintly at Master Makarov and said, "That's ok, I completely understand. I'll eat my lunch and then go home and pack. Where am I supposed to meet up with Bicks and Ever?"

"Yes, I will inform them that you will meet them at the train station because you guys will need to rent a magical vehicle to get there," Master said with a smile.

Lucy excused herself and said goodbye to Master Makarov as she headed down the stairs to see her team waiting for her. Natsu had his lip stuck out in a pout and when he saw her he said, "Lucy, Mira said you have to leave today."

"Yeah and apparently you guys all have to leave tomorrow," Lucy said with a sigh as she took a seat next to Natsu and put her head down on the bar.

"This sucks," Gray added and Happy nodded his head in agreement.

"Well there isn't much that we can do about it," Erza said also very upset by the turn of events, "We can at least eat lunch together before Lucy has to leave."

So that is what the team did, after Lucy bought Happy his fish of course. Then as they ate, they each told Lucy about the various missions that they had gone on since it had been so long since they had the chance to catch up. Erza was the only one who refused to talk about her mission, because she said she didn't want to discuss Ichiya, which her teammates understood perfectly.

Once they were done, Lucy said her goodbyes to them and wished them well on their missions. Just as she was about to head out the door, she head Natsu yell, "Luce, when you get back, you still need to fight us!"

Lucy just shook her head at her teammates as Natsu beamed at her with his cheeky smile and she waved goodbye.

* * *

Virgo had helped Lucy get all packed up as Lucy showered and changed. She thanked the Maid Spirit and then made sure that she had her communication lacrima and keys before she bolted out the door to meet up with Bickslow and Ever.

When she got to the train station, she could see Bickslow's babies floating in the air so she made her way over to them. Bickslow's babies saw her before he did and then they started shouting "Cosplayer! Cosplayer!"

Bickslow turned around to greet her and said, "What's up Cosplayer?"

Lucy just smiled and replied, "Hey Bicks! Hey Babies!"

Bickslow's babies spun around in excitement because Lucy had acknowledged them, even Bickslow smiled at what Lucy said, because hardly anyone ever acknowledge his Babies. But he supposed that Lucy understood the feeling since a lot of people didn't treat her spirits like they were individuals either.

Bickslow then said, "Ever is getting our tickets for us and then we will head out."

Lucy nodded and then asked, "Have you guys heard from Laxus or Freed at all?"

"Ever talked to Freed a little bit ago and told him that we would all be leaving soon. Freed already got us all rooms and said that they'd meet us at a place called 'The Little Acorn Inn.'"

Lucy just nodded and then saw Ever approaching them. She smiled warmly at Lucy and then asked, "I got us a vehicle, you guys ready to go?"

They nodded and then loaded their things and Bickslow offered to drive first as they made their trek to Oak Town.

* * *

When they arrived in the town later that evening, the streets were dead and no one was out. Bickslow looked around as Ever found a place to park the vehicle and said, "Well this doesn't look good."

Lucy couldn't help but feel like there were hundreds of eyes on them as they got their things and looked for the inn. Several of the houses had lights on, but all of the windows were shut and the curtains were closed, even the shops around were all closed down.

Once they found the inn, they all went inside and found Freed waiting for them in the lobby. There weren't even any people behind the counter at the inn and Bickslow said, "Freed, what the hell is up with this place? Where are all the people?"

Freed just said, "We will explain everything, then I will show you to your rooms."

The mages did as Freed said and Lucy couldn't help but see that this place would probably be fairly busy, even for a smaller town, because of its location. It was weird and she felt like they were the only people here, but she couldn't be certain on that.

After they went up the stairs, Freed walked them down the hall to a suite where Laxus was sitting and looking over a bunch of maps. He didn't even look up when Freed said, "Laxus, they are here."

They all took a seat and then Laxus sighed and said gruffly, "Gramps probably told you guys that there are disappearances going on. So far the only people who have been taken are little girls all around the age of 12. Not all the girls are from Oak Town, but for some reason this town keeps getting hit."

"What's up with the ghost town vibe?" Evergreen asked as she crossed her legs and propped them up on the coffee table in front of her.

Freed spoke up and said, "The mayor has put a curfew on the town. No one is supposed to leave their houses after 6 p.m. and shops are to close down as well. The town has been more or less shut down and no travelers are welcomed in. I was asked to place up runes around each home and even the town. Only the five of us, or more counting Bickslow's babies and Lucy's spirits, are allowed to leave and enter the town freely. Also, no one besides us can enter the Inn."

"Why the drastic measures though?" Bickslow asked.

Then Laxus said, "When the records office was broken into a bunch of paperwork was stolen but they don't know what kind, because the goddamn fools can't even find the records of the list of records that they had. That's what Lucy will be helping with while we try and figure out who is behind this and where they are taking the girls. I spent the whole day meeting the families of the girls that were taken and scoured around the village. There isn't a single trace or even an out of place scent I've picked up. It's like this person, or people for all I know, can go completely undedicated."

Lucy didn't like the sound of any of this and while she was more than happy to help with the paperwork, because there could be a clue as to why this happening, she couldn't help but feel a little underused while they all investigated the actual criminals.

However, Bickslow broke her thoughts when he asked, "So are we under this stupid curfew too?"

Freed shook his head no and said, "The mayor has asked us to keep the curfew in mind, but he understands that we are mages and are here to do the job that they have asked us to do—so if our job leads us to staying out, then we have every right. He also said that we are free to use the inn's facilities as we see fit. There will be no workers here so we will have to cook our own food and clean up; however, the town will see to it that we have the supplies we need if we provide them with a list. As of right now we are fully stocked up."

"Nothing else can be done until the morning. Raijinshu we'll head out at 5 a.m. Lucy you are supposed to meet the Mayor at their city hall at 8 a.m.," Laxus stated and then continued to stare down at his paperwork—more or less ending the conversation.

Then before anything else could be said, Freed escorted them out of study area and showed them to their rooms. Lucy went inside her room, which had a very cozy feel to it; however, it was only 8:30 p.m. and she didn't have to be up as early as everyone else. She also felt slightly agitated. She knew that her job was technically the one that was specifically requested of her to help with the paperwork, but she also knew that Master Makrov had said that Mr. Yamagata said that she could help with the attacks too.

She decided that she needed to burn off some steam. She saw the inn brochure on her nightstand and saw that there was an indoor pool, so she decided that is how she would cool down.

After Lucy had received a mint colored bikini from Virgo, she checked herself out in the mirror. She smiled as Orga's lightning lacrima shone by her cleavage. The night before she had asked Orga if it was safe to go into water with her or if it would hurt her spirits, which he assured her that it was safe in water and he designed it so that it would not harm her spirits either, so she knew that she could keep it on while she swam. Finally, Lucy grabbed a towel and made her way through the empty inn. She noticed that the door to Laxus's study was closed and just sighed as she made her trek towards the pool.

* * *

The pool room was gorgeous. Her lone footsteps echoed off of the stone floor as the reflection of the water danced around the room. There were beautiful potted trees in the room and a completely glass covered ceiling so Lucy had a perfect view of the night sky.

She dipped her toe in the water and it was the perfect temperature, so Lucy sat her towel and keys down on the edge of it and jumped in. It felt so good to feel the water engulf her as she swam the length of the pool. She just kept swimming to try and clear her head, but nothing was working. She finally just stopped and floated on her back as she took in the view of the night sky. Why did she feel like this? Why did she feel…so alone?

Then to her surprise she saw a flash near her keys and heard Virgo say, "Hime-Sama, we were wondering if you would like some company?"

Lucy stood up in the water and looked over at Virgo who was in her maid swimsuit. The Maid Spirit then added, "Aries, Andromeda, Lyra, and I would like to join you. Actually, even Aquarius said she would like to enjoy the pool as well."

A big smile appeared on Lucy's face and she said, "That would be amazing Virgo, thank you."

Virgo smiled back then asked, "Punishment?"

Virgo's eyes widened as Lucy got a mischievous look on her face and then splashed the Maid Spirit with the pool water and started laughing. However, Virgo remained frozen on the side of the pool with her eyes wide as though she were in shock.

Lucy swam over, now very worried about the spirit and hoped she didn't hurt her friend and asked, "Virgo, are you ok?"

Virgo stood by the pool for another minute without moving before she finally said, "That was incredible."

Lucy just laughed at Virgo's silliness and said, "That's the most intense punishment you'll ever receive Virgo, so make that feeling last!"

"I will cherish it always," Virgo said now smiling but still standing in the same spot.

Lucy just kept laughing and then summoned out her other friends. Aries was in her cute wool swimsuit and Virgo had supplied Andromeda with a well-covered one that only showed off her arms and some of her legs. Lyra's swimsuit reminded Lucy of the one that Master Mavis had worn at the games, except Lyra also had a little swim cap with ruffles on it. The Harp Spirit looked so happy as she splashed around in an inner tube that had Happy's face on it.

Then Aquarius swam up and said, "Lucy, I actually like the color of your swimsuit. I could see you getting a boyfriend with that one."

Lucy just smiled at her friend and thanked her. Lucy realized that the color made her think of Orga and didn't notice when Virgo and Aquarius winked at each other, because they had planned the swimsuit together.

The girls just swam around and talked about random things and Lucy told them about the mission that she had been sent on.

When they noticed that she looked sad, Andromeda was the one that asked, "Lucy, is something bothering you?"

Lucy shrugged her shoulders and then said, "I don't know how to put it into words."

Then Lyra said, "You could just talk and we will listen, even if it doesn't make much sense."

"But if it's stupid then we will let you know," Aquarius added in as she rested her shoulders on the edge of the pool.

Lucy thought for a moment as her arms mindlessly went back and forth in the water before she said, "I guess I feel upset. I'm fine with helping out with the paperwork, but…I can't help but get the feeling that some people still think I'm weak."

The spirits all looked at each other with worried looks on their faces, then Aquarius sighed and said, "Then show them you're not. You are the only person who can allow or not allow how others make you feel. If they are making you feel weak, then we will show them otherwise and don't let them."

"Someone who is weak couldn't have summoned out this many spirits for nearly two hours, sumimasen," Aries added after Aquarius with a smile.

Then Lucy blinked in surprise because she had no idea that two hours had gone by.

Andromeda also added, "Only you could have stopped me in my corrupted state; not Erza, not Natsu, not Gray, not Laxus, and not even your Guild Master could have stopped me. Only you had the strength to do it."

Lucy felt tears run down her face and then nodded with a smile and said, "Thanks everyone. I won't let anyone make me feel inferior."

* * *

Lucy and her spirits swam around together some more and just enjoyed each other's company before Lucy decided that she better call it a night. The spirits told her that they loved her very much before they went back to their world. Lucy dried off and grabbed her keys and then headed back to her room.

As she walked back, she couldn't help but be a little creeped out by the emptiness of the large building as a lot of the lights were already out. She wasn't scared, it just reminded her of something that would be in a creepy book—like a ghost appearing before her covered in blood.

Lucy started shaking and realized that she was starting to freak herself out and she told herself to stop. Then just as she reached for the handle to her room, she heard, "Hey Blondie."

She jumped in the air and then muttered, "Fuck." She scowled at Laxus who looked slightly amused at catching her off guard.

"Did I scare you?" Laxus said with a smug grin.

"No you didn't, my own mind scared me," Lucy stated honestly and rather annoyed.

"How so?" Laxus asked as he raised his eyebrows.

"Because I was thinking about ghosts, but I knew that only you, Evergreen, Freed, Bickslow, his Babies, and me were in the building. Your voice just threw off my thoughts," Lucy said haughtily.

Laxus just blinked for a moment before he asked, "Why were you thinking about ghosts?"

"Because we are in this dark inn alone. It's like something in a horror book or movie," Lucy replied.

Laxus just nodded his head as he took in the color of her swimsuit and then saw the lacrima around Lucy's neck. He wasn't entirely sure as to what its purpose was then said solemnly, "I just wanted to tell you that if you need anything tomorrow, just call me on my lacrima. You brought yours right?"

Lucy nodded her head and said, "Thanks Laxus, you guys be careful tomorrow. Also, you guys can call me too if you need backup."

Laxus nodded and then replied, "We will probably head back at nightfall if we don't find anything."

Lucy studied Laxus for a moment, because he just stood there like he had more to say, before she asked in a concerned voice, "Laxus is something bothering you?"

"No, I'll just talk to you later. Night Blondie," Laxus stated quickly then he went into his room.

Lucy stood there for a moment, because she wasn't sure what that was about. She would just have to find out later she supposed as she whispered back, "Goodnight, Laxus.

After Lucy showered and put her pajamas on, she went over and got under the covers and once again found herself not tired. She didn't want to bother Orga tonight, because she knew that he was with Rufus, but she wasn't sure how she was going to make herself fall asleep. She should be exhausted after the training, traveling, and swimming…but she wasn't.

She had her communication lacrima sitting next to her head as she stared up at the ceiling. However, her eyes widened when the lacrima lit up next to her and a huge smile appeared on her face when she looked over and saw Orga smiling back at her.


	34. Chapter 34

Lucy woke up at 5:30 a.m., after Laxus and the Raijinshu already left to try and track down the culprits behind the kidnappings. Even though Lucy woke up so that she could do her morning run, she felt rested and at ease. She and Orga had talked again until she fell asleep; however, he called to tell her that it would be a week before they could talk at night again. Apparently in a group of small villages North of Crocus, bands of monsters were attacking in the night and so Rufus and Orga would have to switch their normal schedule because they would be working at night to try and track down the beasts.

Lucy understood and thanked her former Sabertooth partner for letting her know, otherwise she would have been really worried if she suddenly stopped hearing from him. Then Lucy told Orga about the mission she was on, not hiding the fact about who she came with. If Orga was upset about her being on a mission with Laxus, then he hid it well as he listened to her. She also told him about the training she had done that morning with her spirits and about swimming with the girls at the inn's pool.

As Lucy tied her shoe laces, she smiled at how easy it was to talk to Orga now. If anyone would have told her that she and the Sabertooth Mage would have been friends when she met him at the games, then she would have laughed in their face. Now she couldn't picture him not being her friend.

Lucy looked at the clock and decided that she better get her run in, so that she would have plenty of time to shower before she met the Mayor. When she got back tonight she would train with her spirits in an open room she found last night. She could feel that it was going to be an interesting day.

* * *

After Lucy had finished getting ready, after her run, she made her way to meet with the mayor. She was a little surprised that the people of Oak Town were coming out of their houses, but she noticed that many of them looked fatigued and nervous. Another blaring thing she noticed was how there were no little girls running around with the kids—only boys.

When Lucy arrived at the City Hall office, she was greeted very warmly by the Mrs. Mori, the Mayor's wife. "You must be Lucy! Well aren't you the most adorable thing that has arrived in this town since these terrible kidnappings have started," the elderly woman said with a smile as she lead Lucy towards her husband.

"Sweetie, this is Lucy from Fairy Tail," Mrs. Mori said to her husband.

The elderly man had been picking up some papers off of the floor with a small black schnauzer, named Charles, next to him when he looked up and said with a smile, "Thank you so much for coming here to help us, Lucy. Mr. Yamagata spoke very highly of you which is rare because that old hermit hardly ever praises anyone."

Lucy was shocked by the statement, because the Mr. Yamagata she knew was the sweetest old man she had ever met. "Are you sure we are talking about the same Mr. Yamagata?" Lucy asked in surprise.

Mr. and Mrs. Mori both chuckled and Mrs. Mori replied, "Yes, unless he likes you then he wants nothing to do with you."

Lucy was still a little surprised, but then she remembered that Mr. Yamagata had wrote the original job request for her and how it had called her team all sorts of interesting names. Lucy just smiled and realized that the idea didn't seem too farfetched.

"So what is it that you need me to do?" Lucy asked with a smile.

She watched as the elderly couple looked at each other nervously before Mr. Mori led her to the back of the office where two large oak doors were closed. Mr. Mori let out a sigh and opened the doors. Lucy looked around in shock as papers littered the ground, bookcases were knocked over, and filing cabinets were left open and toppled over.

Mr. Mori looked sad and said, "The culprit did this one night when a bunch of girls went missing. I have no idea what they were looking for or how they did it because we live next door and there is an alarm to the building, but it never went off. We should have known something was up though when Charles started barking like crazy."

The dog lifted his head up off of the pillow when he heard his name, then lowered it again when he saw that he wasn't needed.

"We have so many other responsibilities right now that it's difficult for us to try and clean this up on our own," Mrs. Mori said as she wiped away tears from her eyes.

Lucy looked around the room and nodded. It would be tedious work, but she secretly loved organizing so she was pretty damn excited—even though she did a good job at hiding it. She knew that not many people got excited about labeling files, color coding them, and then alphabetizing them; however, she was one of those rare people. Plus, she was still certain that the key to these disappearances was located here in the missing files. She just needed to determine what ones were missing.

Lucy knew that she was a little OCD when it came to these sort of tasks, so she looked at the couple as she tried to hide her excitement and said, "I have this covered, so you guys can work on your other responsibilities. This will be a piece of cake."

"But this is too much for one person," Mr. Mori said with concern.

Lucy held up her keys and smiled as she replied, "I'm not alone."

Then Lucy summoned out Taurus, Capricorn, Sagittarius, Crux, and Gemini (who had transformed into her). The elderly couple's eyes widened and Charles looked up from his pillow before he walked over to watch what was happening.

Taurus, Capricorn, and Sagittarius helped pick up all of the furniture that had been knocked over as Crux researched the list of common files that most city offices had. Gemini-Lucy began to pick up all of the papers and was putting them in one large stack so that they could sort through everything and create labels and categories for each.

Lucy smiled at the elderly couple and reassured them as she said, "We got this covered."

Mr. and Mrs. Mori looked so happy that they nearly cried at the sight. Then Mr. Mori said, "Thank you so much. Mr. Yamagata was right about you—this is amazing. Your magic is wonderful."

The elderly man wiped his eyes and then added, "We will bring you, and your friends, lunch every day around noon. Your green haired guild mate put up runes around this building so that only we, Charles, and your guild mates may enter or leave so you won't have to worry about being bothered. However, when you are finished at the end of the day, we ask that you still lock up the building just as an extra precaution." Then Mr. Mori handed Lucy a key to the building.

The couple thanked Lucy again before they left to work on the many tasks that they had been putting off. However, Charles stayed with Lucy much to her delight because she loved dogs and hadn't been around one in a long time. She went over and pat the dog's head and said, "Hi Charles, I'm Lucy. It's nice to meet you."

Lucy smiled as Charles wagged his tail happily and looked at her with his big brown eyes and his sweet doggie smile.

"Ok, let's get work!" Lucy cheered as she and her friends began cleaning up the giant mess.

* * *

Lucy was enjoying herself so much that she was surprised when Mrs. Mori was already back with sandwiches, lemonade, and sugar-free cookies for Lucy and her spirits; plus some doggie treats for Charles.

The afternoon went by just as fast as she switched out her spirits and before Lucy knew it, Horologium was telling her that it was 5 p.m. Lucy thanked her spirits and then Loke advised her that maybe it would be wise if she alternated days with training, so tomorrow morning they would combat train and then the day after she would run again. Lucy readily agreed, because she was exhausted at keeping her friends out for so many hours. Then Lucy and Charles left the building and Lucy went ahead and locked it with the key that Mr. Mori had given her earlier. She said good night to Charles and smiled as she watched the little dog scamper home.

Lucy yawned as she walked back to the inn and watched as the people of Oak Town hurriedly ran about trying to get everything done before the 6 p.m. curfew hit. It wasn't completely dark yet so Lucy wasn't expecting Laxus or the Raijinshu back when she arrived at the inn. The building was so creepy with no one else there. However she shrugged her shoulders and went to find the kitchen to make herself some dinner.

As Lucy eyed the kitchen, she knew Freed hadn't been exaggerating when he said that they were fully stocked up. There were plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, meats, breads, and almost any type of cooking tool Lucy would need. She wasn't sure if her guild mates would have already eaten or not, but Lucy thought it would be best to be prepared just in case they hadn't. She saw that there were plenty of ingredients for chicken fajitas and that way if her guild mates had already eaten then it would be an easy leftover to keep.

Lucy happily hummed to herself as she washed and cut the veggies before she sliced the chicken. Unlike most people, Lucy liked baking her chicken fajitas because it made them less oily. After she seasoned the meat and veggies, she put them in the oven and began to prepare guacamole and salsa along with some spicy rice and a tossed salad.

* * *

The fajitas were nearly done as she started to warm the tortillas and then she heard a loud noise from the lobby. She grabbed her keys out of instinct, but then relaxed when she heard Evergreen yell, "Bickslow, stop being a pervert!"

Lucy sighed in relief and put her keys away as she started to set the food out. She couldn't help but smile when Bickslow and Ever ran into the kitchen with their mouths hanging open and Bickslow asked, "Cosplayer, are you cooking?"

"I'm actually done cooking," she said with a smile, "I made fajitas and enough for everyone if you guys would like to join."

"Hells yeah I would!" Bickslow yelled as he made his way into the kitchen then helped Lucy carry food over to what must usually be a table for the kitchen staff.

Evergreen stepped out for a moment then walked back in with Laxus and Feed. The Rune Mage eyed all of the food and then asked, "Lucy did you make all of this for us?"

Lucy just smiled as Bickslow eagerly made his plate next to her and replied, "Well I wasn't sure if you guys had eaten yet and I had to cook for myself so I made extra just in case."

Bickslow took a bite already and groaned as the rest of his team took seats at the table. Lucy smiled at Laxus when he sat down next to her and he gave her a faint smile back.

"Cosplayer, these are the best damn fajitas I have ever had. What the hell did you do to them?" Bickslow asked as he stuffed more into his mouth.

Lucy just laughed and replied, "I baked them instead of pan frying them. They are healthier that way too."

"These are very delicious," Feed said as he cut into one of the fajitas with a fork and knife.

Lucy just sweatdropped at Feeed's actions, because she had never seen anyone eat a fajita with utensils before. She also had to bite back a laugh when Evergreen held hers up to take a bite and it all fell out the other end onto her plate. Then she looked at Laxus as he took his first bite. He looked back at her and said, "It's delicious."

A big smile appeared on Lucy's face as she tried her creation too. The guild mates laughed and talked about random things before Freed had told Lucy that their search for clues today had been unsuccessful. Then Lucy told Freed about the state that City Hall's files had been in, because if anyone there were to understand her love for organized paperwork then it would definitely be Freed.

The Rune Mage shook his head at Lucy's description then asked her how she was going about to solve the problem. When she told him how today she and her spirits mostly spent their time getting the furniture picked back up and in good condition again, while Gemini-Lucy and her started picking up all the papers so that the decoding and organization could begin tomorrow, the Rune Mage nodded and said, "That is an excellent strategy."

However, for some reason, Lucy decided to keep the part to herself about how the files might hold the key to the kidnappings. She wasn't a hundred percent certain and she didn't want to get anyone's hopes up, so she decided it would be her own secret side mission.

When they were almost finished, Bickslow asked with a grin, "Cosplayer, will you cook for us tomorrow too?"

"Bickslow, she's not your maid," Laxus growled out.

"I never said she was. It's just none of us can cook worth a shit and I don't feel like starving. Plus, if she cooks then I was going to say that we will clean up, that way it's fair," Bickslow argued.

"That sounds fair to me," Lucy said with a smile because she hated washing dishes, "Do you want a simple breakfast too, because I'm waking up early anyways to train."

"Hell yeah!" Bickslow yelled before he asked with a smile, "Lucy, can you make beef stew?"

"Now you're making requests?!" Ever asked in annoyance as she and Freed began to clear the dishes away.

"My mom used to make the best beef stew when I was a kid. Mira's is ok, but it's not the same," Bickslow told Lucy as he shrugged his shoulders.

"I would disagree with that," Freed argued in shock and in defense for his girlfriend, "Mira's stew is divine."

"Meh," Ever said in agreement with Bickslow.

"Laxus, what's your opinion?!" Freed asked in hopes that his best friend would come to his aid.

Lucy watched as Laxus thought about the question for a minute before he answered, "It's decent."

Lucy tried not to laugh as Freed looked mortified and shook his head as he tied one of the kitchen aprons on around him. Then the Rune Mage stuck his nose up in the air as he began to wash the dishes. Then Lucy said to Bickslow, "I saw that they had a big slow cooker here so I can easily make a beef stew for you. Then you can compare mine to your mother's and Mira's. If Mira's is better, then Freed can have the privilege of telling Mira that her stew is better."

"Deal!" Bickslow and Freed said in unison before Bickslow and Laxus helped their team clean up.

Lucy stayed in the kitchen to chat with Bickslow and Ever, then when Lucy brought up the amazing pool here, Ever asked kindly, "Oh man, do you want to go swimming again tonight Lucy? I'd love to swim, even if it's just for a little bit."

"I'm in!" Bickslow spoke up and his Babies agreed as well.

"That does sound very pleasant," Freed agreed.

"I'd love to," Lucy responded to Ever before she asked, "Laxus, are you joining too?"

Laxus replied solemnly, "Sure, sounds fun."

Lucy frowned a little because she could tell that something was bothering Laxus still, but she didn't know what. He had hardly looked at her or spoke to her during dinner. She tried to replay their past conversations in her head, then she realized that maybe he was upset that she ditched him for Loke at her party. Lucy then decided that as soon as she got some privacy with the Dragon Slayer, she would talk things out with him because she didn't want him to be upset.

* * *

After Lucy had changed into her bikini, which was a pink and black chevron print style, she grabbed her towel and met Evergreen in the hallway. As they were walking down the hall, Bickslow yelled at them and ran to catch up as his babies flew around and chanted, "Pool, pool, pool!"

When the three mages entered the pool room, Ever said in amazement, "You weren't kidding Lucy, this is amazing."

"I know right?!" Lucy agreed as Bickslow ran past them and did a cannon ball into the pool.

Lucy shrugged her shoulders and laughed as she followed Bickslow's lead and jumped in too; however, Ever was more dignified as she grabbed one of the floating rafts on the side and gently eased herself on to it and relaxed as she looked up at the night sky.

The three weren't by themselves for long when Freed and Laxus came in. Lucy felt her mouth water as the pool water reflected off of Laxus's muscles. She watched as the Dragon Slayer went and sat on one of the loungers on the side. He laid down and closed his eyes as he put his arms behind his head. Lucy had to bite back a moan at the thought of running her hands on his well-defined muscles.

Freed followed Ever's lead and got a floating device, whereas Bickslow and Lucy decided they wanted to race each other in the pool like kids.

* * *

Over an hour passed when things started getting wild between Lucy and Bickslow's various competitions, then Pappa and Poppo accidentally knocked Ever off of her raft. The Fairy Mage shot up out of the pool looking for revenge as she removed her glasses.

"Sorry Ever!" Bickslow and his Babies called out as Bickslow gently started to lead the very angry Ever out of the pool, "I think it's time we call it a night."

"That is probably wise," Freed agreed with a smirk as Ever threatened to repaint Pappa and Poppo's faces.

Lucy just laughed at the team's interaction and wished them all a good night. She looked over and saw that Laxus was still sitting in the same spot and in the exact same position. She got an evil smirk on her face as she swam over to the edge of the pool and just as she was about to splash him, he said in a low tone, "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

"Oh really?" Lucy giggled, "What's the big, bad Laxus Dreyar going to do about it if I do?"

Her smile widened when Laxus popped one eye open at her and responded, "Guess you'd have to find out."

Lucy weighed her options. She really wanted to splash him because he was just too serious sometimes, but on the other hand she was a little intimidated by him. But he wouldn't do something horrible back to her...right...?

Lucy decided to risk it all and live in the moment as she sent a huge amount of water at Laxus with her hands which jolted him up in surprise. She laughed wildly, but suddenly stopped when Laxus looked at her and said, "Now you've done it."

"Laxus! No! It was just a prank!" Lucy laughed as she tried to swim away from the Dragon Slayer as he dove in after her.

He looked like a predator stalking his prey when his head rose up out of the water. Lucy eyed his delicious body as water rippled down his sexy tattoo.

She tried to swim away, but Laxus was so much larger than she was that he easily grabbed her ankle and pulled her towards him. Lucy was letting out a mix of screams and laughs as Laxus grinned at her wickedly.

He pulled her close to his chest and she laughed out as she tried to keep a straight face and said, "I'm sorry!"

"Oh? What are you sorry for Blondie?" Laxus asked as he arched an eyebrow and lifted her up out of the water before he added, "It doesn't sound like you are sorry for anything."

Lucy pulled her lips closed as she looked into Laxus's stormy eyes. His muscles felt amazing as her hands brushed against his chest. However, the minx in her came out when she smiled and replied, "You're right, I'm not sorry."

Laxus laughed and said, "Suit yourself." Then he tossed Lucy into the water which elicited a frightened yelp from her before she hit the water.

Lucy barely had time to wipe the water away from her face when she felt Laxus's arms around her again and he asked, "You sorry yet?"

"Nope!" Lucy said as she spit some of the pool water out of her mouth at him.

"Uggghhhh, that's gross Blondie," Laxus laughed.

"Well I forgot to close my mouth, because I was laughing," Lucy said with a grin.

Lucy stopped laughing for a minute though when she saw that Laxus was looking at her seriously. He still had his arms around her when he asked in a grim tone, "What do you see in him?"

Lucy was taken aback by the sudden change in his demeanor, then looked around and asked, "Who?"

Laxus took a deep breath and answered, "Orga." Then he looked down at the lacrima around her neck.

The pool room was filled with silence when Lucy finally said, "Laxus, do you really want to talk about this?" She didn't want to hide anything from him. After all, Orga knew that she was with Laxus right now. Orga had even given her permission to figure out what was between her and Laxus. She wasn't sure how Laxus felt though.

"Are you guys together?" Laxus asked grimly.

"No," Lucy answered honestly, "We are really good friends though."

"Just friends?" Laxus then asked.

Lucy didn't know how to answer that. Technically, she and Orga were just friends, but she knew that she had feelings for Orga that weren't just friendship feelings. She was attracted to him.

When Lucy remained silent, Laxus also asked, "What am I to you?"

Why was he asking her all of the questions that she didn't know the answer to?! Then Lucy just answered, "Well I was hoping we could be really good friends too…"

"Just friends?" Laxus asked again.

Lucy was starting to get overwhelmed. She didn't know! Then she said, "I spent three uninterrupted weeks with Orga. He helped me get stronger. He believed in me when I didn't even believe in myself. I want to get to know you too, it just might take more time since we aren't in a secluded location together."

"So you are attracted to both me and Orga. Is that what you are saying?" Laxus asked as he arched one of his eyebrows, "Because I did hear you guys talking to each other last night and you seemed pretty damn close."

Lucy shot Laxus a look, she hated Slayer hearing and wondered how they got any sleep at all with how they snooped on everyone all the time. "We are very close, Laxus. I just explained why," Lucy said somewhat agitated still that he had eavesdropped.

"So are Orga and I in some sort of battle for your affections then?" Laxus practically growled out.

Lucy just shook her shoulders and answered, "It is whatever you make of it, but I don't see it that way. I know that I would like to get to know you better."

"But you are attracted to me too?" Laxus said with a smirk.

"Yes, but don't let it go to that big head of yours too much," Lucy replied as she rolled her eyes at his sudden shift again in mood.

Then before Lucy could say anything else, she felt Laxus's hand go behind her head and the other around her waist as he crashed his lips down onto hers. Her eyes widened in shock by the sudden kiss and then felt her body melt when Laxus deepened the kiss. Her eyes closed as she hesitantly kissed back. She ran her hands up his arms and felt his bulging muscles as his lips captivated her own. All the stories going around the guild were true, Laxus was an incredible kisser.

Then almost as suddenly as it started, Laxus pulled away from the kiss—leaving Lucy dazed. Then he whispered huskily in her ear, "I don't like losing."

Laxus then gave Lucy a kiss on the cheek and said, "See you in the morning, Blondie."

When Laxus left the pool room, Lucy groaned and chastised herself as she said, "Lucy, what the hell have you gotten yourself into?"

* * *

She swam around in the pool a little while longer as she stared up at the stars. She was so confused about everything and could barely think straight. While the kiss with Laxus was hot as hell, she couldn't say that she really knew him. Not the way she wanted to at least. She needed to know if there was more between her and Laxus than just physical attraction. He said he wanted to be her friend, but what was his definition of friends. She tried to think about all the times she had witnessed his interactions with the Raijinshu. She couldn't say that she ever saw Laxus as being a chatty guy, even with his close friends. Yet somehow, he had earned a high respect from the three mages with very different personalities that were now his closest comrades. She wanted to know how he could do that.

Lucy just sighed and knew that it was getting late. She knew that she was probably going to sleep like shit since she couldn't talk to Orga, not that she necessarily wanted to now since she seemed to have no privacy. Instead she just grabbed her towel and decided that she could at least prep the food for tomorrow since she would be up and thinking a lot.

* * *

The next morning, Lucy woke up at 4 a.m. She had barely gotten four hours of sleep because she had so much information running through her mind, so she decided that she would make breakfast for Laxus and the Raijinshu really quick, then go and train before she ate her own breakfast.

The night before, Lucy had cut up a lot of fruit for a fruit salad so she sat that out for them. Then she made a huge pot of oatmeal. She felt like a zombie as she left them a note, telling them to have a good day as she went to the spare room she had found to train.

Her spirits could tell that something was off about her, because she kept zoning in and out during their training. Loke was a little worried, because he could tell that Lucy had a lot on her mind that she was trying to process and knew that without a doubt it was because of the two lightning mages.

Just as Lucy and Lupus were fighting with staves, Lupus not showing her any slack despite her distraction, when they heard a knock at the door. Lucy and Lupus stopped in mid swing, then Lucy said, "Come in."

She turned around to see Laxus in the door frame with his fur coat slung over his shoulder. She smiled faintly at him then Lupus said, "I will leave you two to talk."

Lucy thanked her spirt friend before he returned to the Celestial Realm with their staves. "Is something wrong Laxus?" Lucy asked the Lightning Mage.

"Are you learning how to use a sword?" Laxus asked in surprise.

"Yeah, Lupus is going to show me. Sagittarius is teaching me archery too. I thought it would be nice to know how to use other weapons besides a whip," Lucy said as she wiped a towel on her face because of her sweat.

Laxus nodded his head then said, "I just wanted to thank you for breakfast and to let you know that we were heading out."

"You're welcome. I hope you guys can find something out today," Lucy said with a faint smile.

Then before Laxus left, he added, "I was also wondering if maybe you would like to do something together tonight?"

"What did you have in mind?" Lucy asked as she took a drink from her water bottle.

"How about you decide this time," Laxus replied with a grin.

"Sure, I think I can come up with something," Lucy laughed then asked, "What time will you guys be back?"

"If we don't find anything like yesterday, then probably the same time," Laxus admitted.

Lucy could tell that Laxus was bothered that he hadn't already found out why the girls were being taken or who was taking them. It was a stressful situation.

Lucy just nodded then said, "I'll understand if you are late."

"Alright, well…see you later Blondie," Laxus said then gave Lucy a chaste kiss on her cheek making her blush before he left.

Lucy just stood there dumbfounded again as she thought about Laxus. Then she growled and said, "Why does he have to be so sexy?!"

* * *

The day at City Hall had been much like the day before. Lucy and her spirits, mostly the girls this time since they were much calmer about organizing the paperwork, began to label files and the filing cabinets after Crux gave them a list of the records that most city halls usually kept.

While Lucy was studying the list, she highlighted key items that she wanted to check to see if they could find while they sorted through the mountain of paperwork; like birth certificates, the town census, etc. Charles sat at her feet as she highlighted the list and Virgo and Andromeda hung up a wire line and began to clip the torn documents to it so that they could try and match pieces together. Gemini-Lucy and Lyra were labeling folders, while Aries was helping sort the folders into the correct cabinets. They had the perfect system down for maximum efficiency and at lunch when Mr. and Mrs. Mori came to check on her they were so impressed by everything that Mr. Mori nearly passed out.

* * *

The afternoon flew by just as fast when Horologium told Lucy that it was after 5 p.m. She did a full body stretch and yawned, because she had no idea how long she had been sitting in her chair without a break. She didn't regret it though, because she had gotten so caught up in the work that they had accomplished a lot today. Then Lucy thanked her spirits for their wonderful help before she and Charles locked up for the night. She gave Charles a little hug and said goodnight to him again as she watched him walk over to Mr. and Mrs. Mori's house.

Once again the town was in a frenzy to get inside before the curfew and Lucy only received a few polite nods from the townsfolk as they rushed by her. She felt so bad when she saw a woman crying next to her husband and saw him trying to comfort her. She couldn't hear what they were saying, but assumed the woman broke down because they were one of the families hat had a daughter missing. She admired the husband for being so loving towards his wife as he helped her home.

Lucy sighed when she got to the inn, she hoped that they could all find the answers soon as to where the girls were.

* * *

It didn't take long for her guild mates to show up, after she had finished toasting the French bread to go with the stew. She smiled at them when they came into the kitchen and greeted them, "Hey guys! Any luck today?"

"Nothing," said a depressed Evergreen.

But then Bickslow lightened the mood when he stood near the slow cooker and said, "Cosplayer, that smells delicious."

Lucy just smiled and said, "Well you can be the first to try it so you can judge it then give us your opinion."

They each poured themselves a bowl while Lucy sat the French bread out in a basket in the center of the table and everyone waited for Bickslow. Lucy was anxious for him to try it and was practically about to squirm out of her seat and she could see Laxus smiling at her slightly out of her peripherals.

Bickslow put his hands together and said, "Thank you for the meal." Then the Seith Mage got a spoonful of the stew and slowly put it in his mouth.

The suspense had nearly sent Lucy over the edge when Evergreen asked, "Well? How is it?"

Bickslow swallowed and Lucy felt like his pause was longer than someone's lifetime when he finally said, "That is…JUST LIKE MY MOM'S! OH MY GOD LUCY, THANK YOU!"

"I DID IT!" Lucy threw her hands up in victory, then she and Bickslow high-fived.

"Can you give me the recipe, so that I can make it for Lisanna when we get back?" Bickslow asked as he scarfed down his first bowl of stew with the French bread.

"Of course," Lucy said with a smile as she finally dug into her stew herself.

Freed sat and stared at the stew when Ever said, "Oh my god, Bickslow's right. This is way better than Mira's."

"Yep," was all Laxus said but Lucy blushed when he gave her a smile.

The Rune Mage put his shoulders back and slowly put the spoon to his mouth. Everyone watched as Freed's eyes widened then he begged, "Please don't make me tell Mira that Lucy's is better."

No one argued with him, because no one felt like having Mira Jane's Sitri form coming at them demanding that they try her stew next.

* * *

Once dinner was over, Laxus and the Raijinshu cleaned up again. Lucy had thought a little bit throughout the day on what she wanted to do with Laxus tonight, but she also wanted to understand his interaction with the Raijinshu more so she spoke up and said, "I was wondering if tonight you guys would all want to watch a movie together."

Laxus looked at her and smiled before he said, "Sure, sounds fun."

When the other three agreed, Bickslow asked, "What did you have in mind?"

Lucy gave an evil smirk and said, "I'll wait to tell you guys until after we get ready to watch it."

When Lucy began to laugh almost in an evil tone, Ever and Freed looked at each other with a little bit of worry. But Lucy just kept smiling then she and Bickslow started making popcorn while Laxus grabbed everyone drinks.

They found a nice big room to watch the movie in and when everyone got comfortable, Bickslow asked, "So what movie did you pick out, Cosplayer?"

Lucy smiled at him and said, " _Psycho_."

Bickslow started laughing wildly and even Laxus chuckled, but Evergreen and Freed both blinked and Freed asked, "What's so funny?"

"You've never seen  _Psycho_?" Bickslow asked.

When Freed and Ever both shook their heads no, Bickslow grinned as big as Lucy and said, "Well this will be fun. Cosplayer, you're pretty damn cool. No wonder Lisanna and Mira praise you so much."

"Thanks Bicks," Lucy said in return as she turned on the lacrima tv and took a seat next to Laxus, "I thought it would be fun to watch since we are all alone in this inn."

Freed and Ever still had no idea what Lucy and Bickslow were laughing so hard about, but stayed to watch the movie with their friends.

Then as the movie played, it finally got to the shower scene, Ever yelled, "WHY DID YOU PICK THIS!?"

* * *

After the movie, Evergreen insisted that they watch something else a little lighter because she wasn't going to go to sleep if that was all they were watching. When Freed picked  _Singing in the Rain_ , no one cared. Lucy felt oddly at ease with everyone and even enjoyed talking with Laxus and getting to know him better.

As they were all watching the second movie, Lucy could feel her eyes starting to grow heavy. She had barely gotten four hours of sleep the night before and had done so much work all day that she didn't realize how tired she was, until the lights went off again and the smooth music from the movie started to calm her.

Lucy yawned and couldn't help it when her body slouched over and she rested her head on Laxus's arm as she let sleep take her.

* * *

The next morning, Lucy opened her eyes and saw that she was back in her room. She rolled over as she tried to remember what happened then saw a note next to her pillow.

_Blondie:_

_We've already headed out for the day, so we will see you tonight._

_Bickslow said it was going to be his turn to pick what we do tonight, so prepare yourself for anything._

_See you tonight,_

_Laxus_

_P.S. I like how you mumbled my name in your sleep._

Lucy's face turned bright red and she crumpled up the letter as she muttered, "That man is infuriating, but sexy as hell."

* * *

The week started to fly by. Every day Laxus and the Raijinshu went out, while Lucy trained and worked in the City Hall office. She felt like she was getting closer and closer at piecing this puzzle together, because her guild mates had been completely unsuccessful. If there weren't a bunch of frantic parents around, then no one would even have known any girls were missing because there was no trace of them at all. However, despite the stressful situation of the mission, Lucy found herself enjoying time with her guild mates and she couldn't believe how much of a flirt Laxus was. Well she could believe it, but sometimes she was still surprised that he was flirting with her.

Later that week, Laxus had asked Lucy if she would like to have dinner together—just the two of them. Lucy agreed and had been looking forward to it all day, because Laxus had told her that after they had dinner together, he and the Raijinshu were going to try something new and go out at night because they had found a weird campsite about twenty miles north of Oak Town that they wanted to investigate. They thought it might have something to do with the people behind the kidnappings, since there were no smells that Laxus could pick up again.

With Orga on his mission and her guild mates leaving for the night, Lucy knew that it was going to be a long night.

Lucy had lost track of time as her and her spirits were working hard at getting the City Hall's files back in order. Lucy looked over at one of the files that they had labeled 'Birth Certificates' and began to look through them, because they had found several torn birth certificate documents in the papers that Virgo and Andromeda had hung up earlier in the week.

Charles was sitting in Lucy's lap today as she scanned the documents, then she asked suddenly, "Crux, do we not have any of the Birth Certificates for the girls that went missing? Do we have a list of the girls' names?"

"Mr. Mori did provide us a list of all the girls that have been reported as missing, but he said that there could be more because some of the orphanages in larger places have reported young girls missing too. I also haven't seen any of the birth certificates for the missing girls," Crux stated honestly.

Lucy felt something click in her mind, but before she could say anything to Crux, Charles head lifted up from her lap and looked towards the door. Lucy looked over and saw Laxus walking towards her and he asked, "Blondie, it's almost 7 p.m. You ready to eat?"

"Wow, I didn't realize it was so late," Lucy said with a yawn then sit Charles gently down on the floor as Plue ran up to the dog and they began to play with each other.

Laxus looked down at the spirit with the dog then asked in a monotone voice, "So are all these things like weird animals and cosplayers?"

Lucy felt her heart stop as she turned to Laxus and asked in a lowered voice, "Things?"

Plue and Charles stopped playing and Lucy's other spirits also grew quiet when they felt Lucy's sudden change in mood and heard her tone. However, Laxus didn't pick up on the insult and said, "Well you have a penguin over there with a compass on its head and then you have the weird woman dressed up as a maid and a dude dressed as a horse."

Lucy looked over at Pyxis who now had tears in his eyes. She felt like her heart broke when she saw her friend wiping the tears away from his sweet eyes. Lucy looked down at the desk and said in a tone as calm as she could, "You know…I don't think I'm all that hungry anymore. You go on ahead."

Laxus finally picked up on the fact that he had done something wrong but he wasn't sure as to what, since Lucy wouldn't look at him. "Ummm…what's wrong?" Laxus asked.

The old Lucy would have probably have just put on a fake smile, like she learned from her childhood, and diplomatically handled the situation and then let the anger fester inside of her and then feel helpless about it later. But Loke was right, she wasn't the same girl anymore.

She looked at Laxus and said, "My spirits are not  _things_. They are not weird. They each have their own personalities, their own senses of humor. They have feelings and they are a part of me."

Lucy felt her arms shaking in anger and she tried to remain calm. She went over to Pyxis and hugged the spirit and told him that she loved him, before she sent them all back to their realm. She could tell that they felt uncomfortable and she didn't want them to have to feel that way. She wanted to protect them.

"Sorry, I didn't know it was a big deal to you. Let's just forget about it and go to dinner," Laxus sighed out.

"YOU DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS A BIG DEAL?!" Lucy lost her cool, "IS YOUR MAGIC A BIG DEAL TO YOU LAXUS? BUT UNLIKE YOUR MAGIC, MY MAGIC HAS FEELINGS AND ARE LIVING BEINGS THAT YOU JUST INSULTED!"

Laxus looked taken aback at the sudden outburst and he didn't understand why things were getting so out of hand, but he was rather annoyed at the situation when he added, "I wasn't trying to insult them ok? Just calm down already."

"Get out," Lucy whispered as tears of anger started to fall from her eyes. She didn't care if Laxus had made an honest mistake. She had felt too often in the past that people saw her as weak because of her magic and she hated it when people couldn't understand that her spirits, and her, were a joint deal. You didn't get one without the other, because they were her family.

Laxus sighed and then asked in an annoyed tone, "You going to go tell on me to Orga now?"

"Excuse me?" Lucy asked in shock.

"Do you really believe he is on some mission at night and not out with his old fuck buddy?" Laxus practically growled at her.

Lucy didn't know where this was coming from. Of course she thought Orga was out with Rufus on a mission, he wouldn't lie to her. But she didn't understand the second part of Laxus's question.

Laxus saw the confusion in Lucy's eyes then said, "Oh shocker, the noble Orga failed to mention that his ex fuck buddy was Minerva. Probably wise to leave out that detail when you are trying to get in the pants of the woman she tortured for fun in front of thousands of people."

Lucy felt her body go numb. She tried to think if Orga had ever told her that. Then she realized that maybe that's what Orga had meant the night that Lucy thought she saw Minerva during the storm. He told her that he would know if she was there…is that what he had meant?

Either way, Lucy couldn't think. She didn't want to think about Laxus, she didn't want to think about Orga, she just wanted to be alone.

Laxus finally realized that he had hurt Lucy and felt like shit. When he tried to apologize, she looked down and said in a lowered tone, "Get out."

"Lucy, I-," Laxus tried to say.

"Get. Out." Lucy repeated.

Then when Laxus tried to say something else, Charles started barking at him and stood in-between the two. He could smell the hurt and anger as she tried to fight back the tears, but he wasn't going to get anywhere tonight. He decided he would leave then try to apologize again when he got back the next day.

Once he had left, Lucy fell down to her knees and began to sob uncontrollably. Charles came up to her and started to lick her arm in an attempt to comfort her when Loke pushed through his gate and whispered, "Lucy, I'm sorry."

Lucy just kept crying and held onto Charles while Aries came out and made a soft couch with her pink wool and Virgo brought her some soup. Lucy didn't feel like eating, but let Loke walk her over to the couch where Charles stayed to try and cheer her up.

She felt pain. She knew that Laxus didn't mean what he said in a hurtful way, but that's almost the reason why she was so angry. How could he have been so inconsiderate and not think before he spoke? Then what about Orga? Why hadn't he told her about Minerva?

Lucy felt the stress of everything get to her and she just needed to cry it out and get back to work. She didn't want to think about either men and decided that maybe it would just be best to declare celibacy and become a nun. She thanked her spirits for caring but then summoned Crux back out. She didn't want to summon Pyxis out just yet, because she knew that sweet Pyxis was very tender hearted.

Lucy looked at her spirit friends and said, "Thank you guys for being worried about me, but I'd really like to just do some more work to take my mind off of everything."

They nodded and faintly smiled at her and continued to help her.

Not long after Lucy got back to work, she looked at Crux and said, "Crux, I remember what I was going to say to you earlier! You said you hadn't seen any birth certificates of the girls missing from Oak Town! That's what I think the attackers took!"

Her spirits all looked at realization with one another when Lucy said, "We need to get the town census and taxes. The attackers couldn't have gotten all of the girls in Oak Town yet. We can see which ones are missing from Oak Town then check to see from the census files and taxes what families still have girls that are still here, because they will most likely be the next targets!"

Lucy and her spirits buzzed around the room as they tried to solve the puzzle so that Lucy could inform the Mayor. If Lucy could figure out who was going to be attacked next, then maybe they could set a trap.

* * *

It was nearing 1 a.m. and Lucy could feel her body finally starting to get tired, but she couldn't rest now when she was so close. She sent her spirits back a while ago to save her energy and she needed the quiet for a little bit. But Virgo brought her some caffeine to help, because Lucy also knew if she stopped working then she would start thinking about Laxus and Orga again and frankly she didn't want to think about either of them still.

Suddenly Charles raised his head on the fluffy pink couch and started barking wildly. Lucy looked over at Charles and asked, "What is it boy?"

Charles bounded off the couch and ran towards the door. Lucy remembered that Mr. Mori had said that Charles started barking like crazy the night that the attackers broke into City Hall. She had spent enough time with Charles this week to know that he wasn't a dog that just barked at nothing. The only time she heard him bark before was at Laxus and that was because he was trying to protect her. So she grabbed her whip and keys and followed him.

Lucy opened the City Hall door to let Charles out and then Lucy heard a blood curdling scream from one of the houses. Lucy and Charles ran towards the direction of the scream as a husband and wife ran outside. Lights started to turn on in the surrounding houses and Mr. and Mrs. Mori came running out of their house too.

Lucy ran up to the couple while Charles sniffed the ground around them frantically. She asked, "What happened?!"

"They took my baby girl!" the woman screamed, "My precious Rose! They took her!"

"Did you see them?" Lucy questioned them.

"They were invisible. Then Rose, she was invisible…" the husband murmured out.

Mr. Mori overheard and asked, "How could they have gotten in with all the runes?"

Lucy watched Charles and then she said, "Runes can be broken if you know how to break them. That's why another attack hadn't happened yet, they didn't know how to break Freed's runes."

Charles started barking again as he ran toward the edge of town with Lucy and the Mayor right behind him. Lucy looked in the direction that Charles was barking at and thought she saw a light. The direction that Charles was barking at was the exact opposite direction that Laxus and the others had went, it had been a ruse. The attackers probably knew that Laxus and the Raijinshu had been searching to find them so they put some bait out that Laxus had bought. However, the kidnappers didn't realize that Lucy was in town.

She looked down at Charles and asked, "Charles, can you follow them?"

Charles barked up at her and Lucy realized that Charles could possibly be her only way of finding the criminals, because he was the only one who could sense when they were coming.

Virgo popped out and handed Lucy a pair of glasses that looked like Loke's and said, "These will help you see through the dark."

Lucy thanked Virgo then sent her back, because she knew she would need to save her energy for a fight. Then she heard Mr. Mori ask, "You are going after them alone!?"

"I don't have a choice. If Charles and I don't follow now, then we could lose the trail. I will get the girls back for you. You can try to reach Laxus, but I doubt he will pick up since they are hiding and waiting for criminals that won't show up," Lucy stated before she looked at Mr. Mori and added, "Mr. Yamagta believes in me, let me show you why." Then she looked down at Charles and said, "Let's go boy."

Then Charles and Lucy ran off into the night.

* * *

Lucy and Charles had been following the trail for nearly an hour. If Lucy's body was tired, she didn't notice because of the adrenaline pumping through her veins. They slowed down though when Charles stopped to sniff something for a little longer, then steered them off into a slightly different direction, deeper into the woods.

Suddenly Charles stiffened and Lucy could hear him let out a low growl as he stalked near a bush. Lucy followed him and readied her whip and keys, then when she looked around the bush she saw an old looking building that looked abandoned; however, Charles kept his eyes locked on it and Lucy knew that there must be something there that she couldn't see.

Lucy silently summoned out Gemini, after she held their key and told them to fly around and see what they could see. It took about fifteen minutes then Gemini returned and transformed into a grotesque man next to her.

Lucy knew that it was really Gemini, but the man's dark eyes looked unnatural and he had a huge gash across his face with missing teeth. Gemini nodded towards the building and said in the man's raspy voice, "This is their leader. His real name is Sam but everyone calls him Shark. He has twenty men in there and all of the girls are being held in a basement bellow. T-They..."

Lucy waited for Gemini to finish, but Gemini's black eyes shown through and Gemini said in their own voice, "He likes to hurt the girls. He plans to sell them off to other rich men who like the company of young girls."

Lucy felt her blood boil in anger and Charles let out a low growl. Then Gemini took a deep breath and transformed into a skinny man that had purple hair and red eyes before they added, "The reason why Laxus can't smell them is because they have a scent magician that can trace their smells. If Laxus would have been in town during the attack, he could have still heard them; however, that is why they made the diversion."

"How come Charles can smell them though? Why couldn't we see them?" Lucy whispered.

"The scent magician is smart, but he created it so Dragon Slayers couldn't smell him or other humans. He had watched the Grand Magic Games and knew that either Fairy Tail or Sabertooth would be asked to get involved, so he made masking scents specifically for them. However, the dumbass didn't think about if non-human beasts could smell him. Even though the Dragon Slayers have senses of a dragon, they are still ultimately human. Also, the reason why we can't see them is because they have a magician that can temporarily cloak people; however, it requires a lot of magic and takes several days to refuel his supply. That's why the attacks were periodically happening. You were right too, they took the records so that they could find out which houses had little girls, plus girls from the surrounding area that had originally been born in Oak Town. They have a cloaking device on the building; however they have no runes or barriers to trigger an alarm. Their magic is weak for the most part and we can easily kick their asses," Gemini finished reporting.

Lucy felt pure rage at the sick fucks inside the building. She knew that kidnapping little girls couldn't be good, but selling them to men who wanted to use them for their own means made Lucy so angry that she broke her skin from clenching her fists so hard.

Lucy felt the keys of Andromeda, Virgo, Aries, and even Aquarius shake with anger for the young girls. Lucy summoned the first three out then Virgo held Lucy a water bottle and summoned Aquarius too.

She looked at her friends and said, "This is the plan."

* * *

Lucy watched as Virgo dug under the building while Gemini transformed into Wendy. Gemini and Lucy nodded at each other as Gemini stepped out from behind the bush. Gemini-Wendy walked up to the abandoned looking building and called out in a timid voice, "U-u-um, is anyone there?"

Lucy saw the cloaking device fall and saw the man Gemini called Shark walk out and say, "Well now this isn't a pleasant surprise." Even though Lucy knew that it was Gemini and not really Wendy, Lucy was enraged at the way Shark eyed Wendy up and down.

"I-I, lost my way. Can you help me?" Gemini-Wendy asked in a sweet voice.

The man licked his lips then froze before he said, "Wait, you look familiar…"

Lucy and Gemini had planned for this though, since Gemini said that these men had seen the Grand Magic Games. Gemini-Wendy's eyes grew all black and a wicked smile appeared on their face as they roared out, "Tenryū no Hōkō!"

Lucy and the others jumped out from behind the bush to unleash their attacks as Shark and the men in the building cried frantically and tried to run away. However, Aquarius and Aries were too quick and cut off the men off from escaping just as Virgo popped out from the ground behind them. Lucy, Andromeda, Charles, and Gemini-Wendy approached them from the front, trapping them.

Lucy almost enjoyed the look of fear in the men's eyes after what they had done to the innocent little girls. She felt such pain and pity, because there in the room must have been the girl named Rose that they had just taken from Oak Town. Lucy felt relieved, because the girl still looked unharmed minus the bruise on her cheek.

Then she watched as Shark yelled, "Don't just stand there! Fight them! It's just a few girls!"

Andromeda looked at Lucy with a smile and asked, "May I?"

Lucy smiled back and nodded as Andromeda's purple eyes began to glow even brighter, just like when she had possessed Orga. She watched as the men cowered in fear in front of Andromeda. The magical pressure that Lucy felt from Andromeda was incredible. The spirit Lucy had saved looked at the men and said in a deep voice that gave Lucy chills, "Twenty pathetic men and their disgusting leader are nothing compared to my wrath. You will pay for making innocent girls suffer."

Andromeda walked closer to the men and one pissed himself in front of her. She smiled wickedly at them and said, "Bow."

All of the men did as Andromeda said and Lucy smiled when she remembered the dream that Lupus had shown her and what Andromeda had said about weak willed men. These men were nothing but pathetic assholes and Lucy knew that Andromeda alone could easily take all of them out with just a sentence.

However, Virgo looked at her and pulled some chains out. The Maid Spirit's eyes looked at the men but asked Lucy, "Punishment, Hime-sama?"

Lucy, her spirits, and Charles walked closer to the men as they cowered on the ground in front of Andromeda and Lucy replied in a voice as scary as Erza's or Mira's, "Yes Virgo, it's finally time for punishment."


	35. Chapter 35

It was nearing dawn and the trap that Laxus and the Raijinshu had set had been a complete failure. The team was completely discouraged as they trekked their way back to where they had left their things. It had been a long night, but it had felt even longer since Laxus had been in a pissy mood and none of them knew why. Ever since he got back from seeing Lucy, he wouldn't talk.

Finally Bickslow was the one that spoke up and said, "Dude, just tell us what happened between you and Cosplayer. We can probably help."

"Keep your nose out of it Bicks," Laxus growled.

Bickslow looked at Freed and Ever for backup when Ever added, "Please Laxus, we get that you are closed off. Let us help you, because we like Lucy and we want to help."

Laxus still refused to talk as they finally reached the magical vehicle from their hidden location. Just as Laxus grabbed his bag, his communication lacrima was going off. He pulled it out and asked gruffly, "What?"

Mr. Mori was on the other side and he looked exhausted, "Laxus! Thank goodness I reached you! Your team needs to get back and help Lucy! She said that the people responsible led you the wrong way! She and Charles ran off hours ago to follow them because they took another girl in the night."

The Raijinshu backed up a little when lighting sparked off of Laxus and then they could hear Mrs. Mori in the background yell at her husband, "Sweetie! Here they come! She did it! She found them!"

"Oh my goodness! She really is amazing!" Mr. Mori yelled and then the lacrima went dark.

The Raijinshu looked at each other as Laxus stood there looking at the darkened lacrima. Finally Freed said, "Well, it looks like we weren't needed on this mission after all. Lucy seems quite capable of fixing both the City Hall problem and the kidnappings. However, we should head back to Oak Town quickly, because Lucy will probably need sleep if she was out fighting off who knows how many people in the middle of the night and the town will need help locating the families of children not from Oak Town."

* * *

The four Fairy Tail Mages started their journey back while Freed drove. Laxus was fighting off his motion sickness when Bickslow said, "Laxus, maybe when we get back you should hang back."

"What for?" Laxus asked as he arched his eyebrow at his teammate.

"Look man, you've been a complete asshole all night. Cosplayer is going to be exhausted and if you pissed her off, you might make it worse," Bickslow sighed out.

"Please just tell us, before we get back so that we can help you," Evergreen pleaded with her friend as she leaned back in her seat from exhaustion.

"Let us help Laxus. We are each in a relationship and could help," Freed boldly added in.

"Plus you aren't exactly known for being a relationship type guy," Bickslow added.

"Lucy's not a quick fuck like every other girl in your past," Ever chimed in again.

"All right!" Laxus growled, "If it will shut you guys up I'll tell you."

The Raijinshu sat and listened as Laxus said, "I went to go get her for our dinner and I asked her about her spirits. She thought I was insulting them, but I wasn't trying to. She got pretty mad and then I got pretty agitated and brought up Orga—which didn't go over well."

Bickslow and Ever looked at each other to see who would speak first, because Freed obviously wouldn't speak until he knew more. Ever chose to speak first and asked, "What exactly did you say about Lucy's spirits?"

Laxus leaned his head back and said, "I asked her if all of her spirits were animals and weird cosplayers, except I said things instead of spirits."

"You did what?" Bickslow asked in a lowered tone.

"I know, I fucked up," Laxus sighed out in agitation, "I wasn't thinking."

"You're damn right you fucked up!" Bickslow shouted.

"Bicks," Ever tried to intervene when she saw just how mad Bickslow was getting.

"No Ever, he needs to hear this! Laxus, we love you but sometimes you can be a real pain in the ass! We know more than anyone that you aren't the same man that you were before Fantasia; however, that doesn't mean that you still don't act like a stuck up prick a lot of the time! YOU should know more than anyone how saying something like that to Lucy would hurt, because of MY magic! I know you probably didn't mean to hurt her, but use your head man! Also, stop feeling so threatened by Orga! He made a mistake. You've made PLENTY of mistakes too, Laxus! I don't know what you said to Lucy about Orga, but I seem to know her a lot better than you and she probably chewed your ass out and kicked you out for insulting her spirits and I'd back her up on that decision any day of the week! They are living beings! Loke is a member of Fairy Tail for fucks sake! She's a lot stronger than most people give her credit for and even what you give her credit for! Look she's just completed TWO jobs back to back that the Mighty Laxus Dreyar couldn't even do!" Bickslow finally finished shouting.

After that everyone sat in silence and even Bickslow's Babies didn't even mimic his last words, because they got so scared. Bickslow even called Lucy by her real name instead of the playful nickname he has for her. Then finally Laxus said, "You're right Bicks. I am an asshole. I do care about her a lot. I just don't know how to show it and it's not really something I'm used to—having to try to get a girl to like me."

"Treating her like she's a skilled and strong mage might be a good start, instead of a piece of ass to fuck. She's one of the kindest people I've ever met and Lisanna and Mira see her like a sister. I know Lucy will forgive you, because that is who she is, but honestly Laxus I wouldn't blame her if she didn't," Bickslow spat out.

Ever and Freed didn't feel the need to add anything to Bickslow's statement and they knew Laxus would think over what Bickslow had said, so the rest of the trip to Oak Town they all sat in silence.

* * *

The battle between the men and Lucy, her spirits, and Charles lasted a whole whopping ten seconds because Andromeda's control over them was so strong and several of them passed out in fear. However, that didn't mean Virgo didn't enjoy chaining all of the men up and gagging them a little too tightly as she slapped a few of them with Aquarius's riding crop.

Lucy had to reign in Virgo's anger a little though when Virgo suggested that they summon out Cancer to snip off all of their manhood's. Aries even laughed when all of the men started sweating at that comment and tried to cross their legs together. Andromeda liked Virgo's plan, but Lucy reminded them that she would get in trouble from the Magic Council if she sought out her own justice. They would be imprisoned and then go to trial, but Lucy would make absolutely certain that these men would never touch another girl again.

Virgo made sure that all of the men were blindfolded before they went to retrieve the girls below. Aquarius and Gemini-Wendy had been below freeing the girls. They were all terrified and Lucy wanted to cry as she saw their abused bodies and torn clothes. Virgo and Aries made quick work at going to the Celestial Realm and bringing back modest outfits for the girls. The little girls all stared in wonderment at the beautiful mage and her beautiful friends that saved them.

Lucy looked over and saw a dark green haired girl huddling in the corner. She slowly walked up to her and said kindly, "Hello, my name is Lucy. I'm here to take you home."

The little girl shook with her hands over her head and she replied with a cracked voice, "I don't have a home."

Lucy felt like her heart broke, but asked, "Where did you live then?"

"I lived in Crocus," the girl whispered as she had tears in her eyes.

Charles walked up beside Lucy and then started licking the girl's hand. The girl looked at him and smiled slightly and then started to pet Charles. Lucy smiled at the innocent interaction then she asked the girl, "What's your name sweetie?"

"Eve," the girl said meekly as she continued to pet Charles.

"Well Eve, have you ever heard of Sabertooth?" Lucy asked gently.

The girl's eyes lit up and she said, "Yeah, I always wanted to be a Sabertooth Mage when I grew up…well…before I ended up here…"

Lucy's heart ached for the girl before her. She had seen too much for someone so young. However, Lucy tried to remain positive for the girl and then said, "Well I have a lot of friends in Sabertooth and their guild is close to Crocus. I'm sure that they would welcome you. What kind of magic do you have?"

The girl looked at Lucy and said, "The men gave the girls who had magic medicine to stop us from using it, b-but I can do a little." Then the girl held out her palm and concentrated on it and a tiny violet flower sprung from her hand before it withered and died.

Lucy gently touched the girl's hand and said, "Your magic is beautiful. I know someday that you will be an incredible mage that young girls will look up to. Don't give up and never stop believing in yourself."

The girl started crying harder and then grabbed ahold of Lucy. Lucy fought back her own tears as she stroked the girl's hair and whispered to her that she was safe now. Then Lucy asked, "Eve, if you want, you can stay with me and I will take you to Sabertooth after we take all the other girls to Oak Town. Would you like that?"

The girl nodded her head and asked as she looked at Charles, "Is he coming to Oak Town with us?"

Charles barked happily at her and Lucy laughed before she said, "Yeah, Charles will walk back with us. He helped me find all of you."

Eve gave Lucy a small smile then held onto Lucy's hand and let Lucy lead her out of her cell. Lucy looked around and all of the little girls looked nervous and happy all at the same time and Lucy smiled when she saw two little girls holding Andromeda's hands. Gemini-Wendy had gone upstairs once the other spirits and Lucy came down to help the girls, because Lucy had told Gemini to head back up and transform into Freed to write runes around the men to keep them from escaping. Lucy would like to haul their asses back to Oak Town right this second, but she was afraid the little girls would be too scared to walk next to the men that had abused them. Then once the girls were all ready to go, Virgo made a path so that they could all leave together and not have to walk by the men at all. Everyone held hands as Lucy, Eve, and Charlie led everyone back to Oak Town.

* * *

It was nearing dawn when Oak Town finally came into sight and Lucy could feel the incredible drain of using so much magic for so long finally hit her, yet somehow she kept it up as she put the glasses away that Virgo had given her. Looking at all of the girls behind her holding hands with her spirits gave her the strength to keep going. Even though she knew she would probably collapse within the hour.

When they got closer, Lucy could hear people cheering and saw parents running towards their daughters and Mr. and Mrs. Mori running towards them with tears in their eyes. Once the little girls recognized their parents, they took off in a sprint towards their families and Lucy couldn't help but start crying when she could hear parents start to yell the names of their daughters and the girls yelling, "Papa! Momma!" It was probably one of the single most rewarding times Lucy had ever had her whole life.

Then Lucy led the girls who were not from Oak Town towards Mr. and Mrs. Mori and introduced them. Luckily Gemini-Wendy had found out that none of the girls had been sold yet so the full group had been accounted for. There were about ten girls that were not from Oak Town that Mr. and Mrs. Mori gladly welcomed into their home so that they could find their parents. However, Lucy told Mr. and Mrs. Mori that Eve would be staying with her and once Lucy got some sleep she would be taking the girl to Sabertooth. Then Lucy pulled Mr. Mori aside and told him where to find the men so that the Rune Knights could come collect them immediately. Then Aries made lots of wool beds for the girls to rest on in Mr. and Mrs. Mori's house and the girls laughed as Charles started jumping on them with the girls. Mrs. Mori was so happy to have children in her home again that she was already filling them with chocolate chip cookies and milk.

Lucy knew that the girls were in good hands and before she and Eve went back to the inn, Mr. Mori said, "I finally got ahold of Laxus and his team. They will be here shortly. I will send them to pick up the people responsible and then have them take the criminals to the jail until the Rune Knights get here."

Lucy nodded in response before her spirits said goodbye to the girls and disappeared back into the Celestial Realm, then Mr. Mori added, "Lucy, you have done an incredible thing. I don't know how we can ever repay you, but thank you so much."

Then when Mr. Mori started crying, Lucy gave him a hug and replied, "Thank you for contacting me and believing in me."

The elderly man wiped away his tears and then kindly ordered Lucy to go get some rest. Eve held onto Lucy's hand as they made their way back to the inn. Eve's eyes grew wide at the nice inn and she told Lucy that she had never stayed anywhere so fancy. Lucy just hugged the girl as they made their way to Lucy's room. Then Lucy ran some bathwater for Eve and told her that she should take a bubble bath while Lucy made a quick call. The girl nodded in excitement then Virgo came out on her own strength, even though the Maid Spirit was tired too, to give Eve new clothes to change into and a tooth brush.

Once Eve was getting cleaned up in the bathroom, Lucy went over to her communication lacrima to try and get ahold of Yukino—perhaps her friend would know of a family that would take in little Eve.

Yukino answered quickly and smiled brightly and said, "Lucy-san! It's so good to see you!" Then Yukino took in Lucy's appearance and added, "Oh my goodness Lucy-san, are you ok!?"

Lucy just laughed because she knew that she was probably covered in dirt, slime, and who knows what else. "I'm fine Yukino, I just finished up an all-night mission and am pretty exhausted because I haven't had the chance to clean up yet."

Yukino nodded in understanding before Lucy continued, "I was actually wondering if you could do me a favor."

* * *

It was in the early afternoon when Lucy woke up with Eve sleeping peacefully next to her. She stretched and she wanted to cry with how sore her body felt, but Lucy knew that they would need to make their way to Crocus soon. When she got up, she gently woke Eve up and asked if she would want to eat something before they headed to Sabertooth. The girl shot up in excitement and Lucy couldn't help but smile at how much better the little girl was already doing.

As they made their way to the kitchen, they managed to bump into Evergreen. Evergreen looked at the little girl holding onto Lucy's hand and bent down and said, "Well aren't you beautiful. What's your name sweetie?"

"Eve," Eve replied bashfully.

Lucy just smiled at how sweet Evergreen was when Ever added, "That is a beautiful name Eve. I love your hair."

"Thank you," Eve said shyly.

Then Evergreen lead Lucy and Eve to the kitchen, because Bickslow had already made a bunch of sandwiches. When they walked into the kitchen though, Eve froze when she saw Bickslow. Lucy could feel the little start to tremble next to her, but Lucy said quickly, "Eve, this is my good friend Bickslow and these are his Babies."

Eve clung onto Lucy when Bickslow walked over and kneeled down, but kept his distance because he could see that the girl was scared. He smiled at her and asked kindly, "Hey Eve, would you like a sandwich?"

Eve just nodded and then Bickslow said, "Pappa, can you take a sandwich to Eve?"

Then Bicklsow sat a plate with a sandwich on it on Pappa's head and Pappa flew the sandwich over to the little girl. Eve's eyes lit up at the magic as Bickslow's Babies chanted, "Sandwich! Sandwich!"

"Wow!" Eve said as she took the plate off of Pappa's head. Then Evergreen led Eve over to the table and asked her what she wanted to drink.

Lucy just shook her head at Bickslow and said, "Who knew you were so good with kids, Bick's?"

Bickslow just chuckled and replied "I better be or Mira probably wouldn't let me date Lisanna."

The Fairy Tail mages all ate with Eve as Bickslow's Babies entertained them to keep Eve from getting scared. While Eve was talking to Poppo, Bickslow told Lucy how Laxus and Freed went to go get the scumbags that Lucy had captured and were waiting with them until the Rune Knights showed up. Lucy nodded then told them how she would be taking Eve to Sabertooth, because the girl had originally been an orphan in Crocus. Bickslow and Ever didn't say anything, but nodded their heads in understanding.

But then Bickslow couldn't resist and said in an honest voice, "What you did was pretty amazing."

Lucy looked at Bickslow and Evergreen who were both smiling at her and she couldn't help but blush from all of the attention and replied sheepishly, "Thanks."

Then Bickslow added, "Also, not that it's my place, but Laxus knows he fu-."

Evergreen elbowed him in the ribs and whispered, "Don't swear in front of children."

Luckily Eve was still chatting away with Bickslow's Babies so she didn't notice the interaction, but Bickslow still apologized to Lucy and Ever before he added, "He knows he messed up big time. I'm not saying you should forgive him, but I thought you should at least know."

Lucy nodded her head. She still didn't want to think about Laxus or Orga at the moment. She wasn't entirely sure that Orga would even be at Sabertooth when she went and she was too afraid to ask Yukino. Then Lucy looked at Bickslow and Evergreen and said honestly, "Right now I just want to worry about finding Eve a home. When I get back to Magnolia I will talk with him."

Evergreen smiled but then Bickslow added, "Either way, I still think you are awesome and I can't wait to tell everyone how you and your spirits singlehandedly saved the day."

Lucy just smiled at Bickslow. She really enjoyed spending time with the Raijinshu this week. Then together they finished their sandwiches and watched Eve play with the sweet totems.

* * *

After the girls had eaten, Lucy said goodbye to Bickslow and Ever and told them that she would see them back in Magnolia. Then she grabbed her things as she and Eve went to say goodbye to Mr. and Mrs. Mori.

When they got there, the elderly couple thanked her again and Lucy told them to just give the reward to her guild mates and then she could collect it from them later, because Lucy wanted to get Eve to Sabertooth tonight.

Then finally, Charles scampered up to Lucy and whimpered at her feet. Lucy bent down to look at the dog and she whispered, "Thank you, Charles. Thank you for helping me. You are the most amazing dog I have ever met."

Charles started to lick Lucy's hand and then she gave him a hug before she hugged all the girls staying with Mr. and Mrs. Mori. They told her that they would write to her and she said she would look forward to that. She said goodbye to Mr. and Mrs. Mori one more time before she held onto Eve's hand and said, "Let's take you to your new home."


	36. Chapter 36

Lucy and Eve stood outside of the Sabertooth Guild, both girls were nervous but for very different reasons. Lucy looked down at Eve who was trembling and asked her kindly, "Are you ready?"

Eve nodded slowly then Lucy pushed open the doors to the Sabertooth guild. She felt Eve latch ahold of her tighter as two large men walked by, but they just smiled and said hello before they continued on their way. Thankfully, Lucy finally saw Yukino and the other Celestial Mage smiled widely and came over to greet her friend along with Frosch.

When they got closer, Lucy nudged Eve and said, "Eve, this is Yukino. She has the same type of magic as I do and this is Frosch, he's an Exceed."

Eve stared at Yukino and Frosch in amazement as Yukino bent down and said sweetly, "Hi Eve-chan, Lucy-san has told me so much about you. I can't wait to get to know you better."

"Frosch thinks so too," the little Exceed agreed as he took ahold of Eve's free hand.

Lucy just smiled as Eve giggled at Frosch. Then Yunino added, "You guys must be hungry. Do you want something to eat?"

Eve nodded her head bashfully before Yukino and Frosch led them over to a bar. Lucy couldn't help but look around to see if she could see Orga; and when she didn't, she didn't know if she was sad or happy about that.

Lucy just laughed as Yukino spoiled Eve with everything and gave the girl a huge pizza with as many toppings as she wanted. The two Celestial Mages smiled as Eve chatted away with Frosch. Then Lucy asked quietly, "Do you know of a family that would help her?" Lucy couldn't help but already love Eve to bits, but the little girl needed a family.

Yukino smiled and nodded before she said, "There are two mages in Sabertooth that have been wanting a child, named Veronica and Diane. They are really sweet women and sadly they had a similar past to Eve. It's where they met as teenagers. Except when they were taken, the men that had them captive made sure the girls wouldn't ever be able to have kids of their own."

Lucy couldn't help it as she started to cry. The world could be such a cruel and scary place. She watched Eve laughing with Frosch and couldn't understand how people could be so evil to each other. How you could some people ruin another person's happiness and innocence for their own pleasure? It made her feel sick and angry all at the same time.

Then Yukino added, "I contacted them right after I got done talking with you and told them about where you found Eve. They should be here any minute because they said they'd love to help. They'd be pretty perfect too since they will be able to understand what Eve's gone through and help her cope with it. Plus, Eve seems to be pretty scared of men still so two women would probably make her feel a lot safer."

Lucy nodded in agreement then Yukino said, "Oh good, they're here."

Lucy turned around and saw two women approach them with a beautiful golden retriever. Yukino introduced them to Lucy and Lucy smiled at them and couldn't help but feel like it would be a good fit. Veronica had beautiful, long dark purple hair with emerald colored eyes. Her smile was warm and friendly. Diane had short blue hair with incredible grey eyes. Diane was much gruffer than Veronica, because she had several tattoos and piercings; however, she was kind as welcoming.

Then before they could introduce the women to Eve, Eve turned around and asked them, "Is that your dog?!"

The two women smiled at Lucy and Yukino as Eve hopped off the bar stool and Diane bent down replied, "Yep, this is Lucky. Would you like to pet him?"

Eve looked at Lucy with a smile then nodded her head at Diane as she reached out to pet Lucky's head. "His fur is so soft," Eve giggled.

Then Veronica held out a red ball towards Eve and said, "He's really good at playing fetch. Do you want me to show you?"

Eve was so excited at watching Lucky run through the guild as he caught the ball and everyone who was there smiled as the girl chased after Lucky and Frosch chased after Eve. Yukino told Lucy that the women had joined Sabertooth shortly after Yukino did as a way to make money; however, they never liked the former master and when Yukino was temporarily kicked from Sabertooth, Veronica and Diane quit too. They were admired mages in Sabertooth but usually kept to themselves. However, Yukino told Lucy about how Diane put Sting in his place last week when Sting accidentally bought a prostitute.

Lucy's eyes widened, "What do you mean he accidentally got a prostitute?!"

"It was his attempt at welcoming Orga home," Yukino sighed out.

When Lucy looked even more shocked, Yukino quickly added, "Don't worry though! Orga would never do something like that! He'd never betray your trust. He cares about you too much."

Lucy was taken aback by Yukino's sudden honesty; however, it didn't change the fact that Orga had been with Minerva—well according to Laxus.

Yukino could tell something was still bothering her friend so she asked, "Lucy-san, what's wrong."

Lucy wasn't sure if she should ask Yukino. She didn't want to doubt Orga, but she knew Yukino would probably know more than Laxus did. Then that way Lucy could prepare herself better if she talked to Orga.

Lucy looked over to see that Eve was showing Diane and Veronica her magic, which she could hold longer now that the drugs Shark and his men had given her was starting to wear off. Then Lucy sighed and asked, "Yukino, were Orga and Minerva together?"

When she looked over at Yukino, she saw her friend smile at her with a pained face before she replied, "They weren't together in the sense like boyfriend and girlfriend. They didn't date. It was more like hooking up from time to time for sex. Orga was one of the few people Minerva respected, because he was the only one who could beat her one on one."

Yukino could tell that Lucy was hurt by the news so she added, "He was a different person then Lucy-san. He never liked her in the same way that he likes you."

"Why wouldn't he tell me?" Lucy whispered out as she tried not to cry.

"Maybe it never came up? Orga isn't overly talkative and I don't think he would have kept it from you on purpose," Yukino said as she took a seat next to her friend and reached out for her hand, "But my advice is talk to him about it. Orga is pretty honest, sometimes brutally. Just tell him it concerns you."

Then much to Lucy's surprise, Yukino said happily, "Good, he just walked in so now you don't have to worry."

Lucy about fell off of the barstool when she looked up and saw Orga walk in with Rogue, Rufus, Sting, and Lector. Her heart started pounding erratically as Orga got a surprised look on his face as he looked around then finally met her gaze. A small smile appeared on his face and she couldn't help but smile back at him. She had missed him so much.

However, Lucy's eyes were drawn back to Eve when she heard Sting ask, "Oh, so you must be Eve huh? Yukino tells me that you want to join Sabertooth."

Eve ran and hid behind Diane and Veronica and Lucy and Yukino couldn't help but laugh at Sting's dejected face. Then Lector walked up and said to Eve, "Hi Eve-chan, I'm Lector! Sting-kun is a really nice Master so you don't have to be scared of him."

Eve looked up at Diane and Veronica, they both smiled and agreed with Lector. Then Eve looked at Sting and whispered, "Hello."

Sting smiled at the girl and asked nicely, "Can I see your magic?"

Eve nodded and held onto Lucky as she held out her palm and made little flowers bloom out. She smiled bashfully when Lector yelled, "Eve-chan is amazing!"

Sting went and grabbed the magical guild insignia stamper then asked, "Eve, would you like to become a member of Sabertooth?"

Lucy felt tears run down her eyes when Eve's face lit up and she looked back and forth between Diane and Veronica. Then Veronica said kindly, "We will support you if that is what you want Eve and if you will let us, we would like to be your family. I've never had a daughter of my own."

Eve started to cry as she replied, "But I've never had a family. The men that took me said no one would ever want me to be their daughter and it's why my real parents gave me away."

Lucy watched as Sting looked down at the ground in anger and Veronica started to cry; however, Diane gently touched Eve's shoulder as she leaned down to look Eve in her eyes. "Eve, never for one second believe that what those men said or did was right. They were wrong and they were evil. If you will let us, we would love to be your parents. Sabertooth would be your family and we will protect you and keep you safe. You can help us take care of Lucky and come play at the guild with Frosch and Lector," Diane said sincerely.

Eve looked over at Lucy then asked, "Can Lucy visit us?"

Veronica and Diane smiled before Veronica said, "Aunt Lucy can visit you and stay with us whenever she wants."

Eve's eyes lit up again as she yelled out to Lucy, "Lucy! I'm going to finally have Moms and you're my Aunt!"

"That's so wonderful, Sweetie," Lucy said as she and Yukino were trying not to sob too loudly at Eve's interactions with everyone.

Then Eve looked at Sting and said, "I want Sabertooth to be my family."

Sting grinned at the girl and asked, "What color do you want your new guild mark to be?"

"Pink. Like Aunt Lucy's," Eve said with a smile.

Sting laughed and handed the stamp over to Diane so that she could have the honor. Veronica hugged Eve as Eve held out her right hand and let Diane stamp Sabertooth's insignia onto her.

Then Sting said, "Welcome to the family, Eve."

Cheers erupted in the guild as Eve hugged her new moms. Then she ran over to Lucy to show her the mark of Sabertooth. Lucy hugged the girl then hugged Diane and Veronica and thanked them; however, it was Diane who said that they should be thanking Lucy.

Then Eve asked Diane and Veronica, "Do I get my own room and everything?!"

"You sure do," Diane said with a smile.

"And tomorrow we can take you shopping so you can pick out clothes and toys," Veronica added in as she hugged the little girl again.

Lucy couldn't stop smiling at the new family's interactions. Then Eve asked them if she could go see her new home. The two women said that they'd love that then Eve hugged Lucy again and said, "Thank you Aunt Lucy. Thank you for saving me."

Lucy lost it after that and hugged the girl back and replied, "Of course, Eve. I'm so happy that you will have such good parents who already love you so much."

Then Lucy said goodnight to the family and told Eve that she would come say goodbye to her tomorrow before she left. She felt pure joy as she watched Eve leave Sabertooth holding onto both Diane's and Veronica's hands as they followed Lucky out of the guild.

Lucy was just about to say something to Yukino when she felt an arm around her shoulder. "Hey Blondie, just admit it...you want to join us too. After all Sabertooth is way cooler than Fairy Tail," Sting said with a smirk.

"Oh, you mean like how the Guild Master buys prostitutes for his guild members?" Lucy asked slightly annoyed as she crossed her arms to glare at him.

"That was an accident!" Sting argued in his defense, "Orga, tell her!"

"Tell her what?" Orga asked as he pushed Sting out of the way so he could sit next to Lucy, "Tell her how you are a moron?"

"Orga has a valid point," Rogue added in as he took a seat next to Yukino.

"Whatever, I made this guild way better!" Sting said with a grin before he jumped behind the bar to pour himself a drink.

"Sting-kun is the best Master!" Lector cheered.

* * *

Everyone was enjoying each other's company and Sting got the members there convinced to have a pool party; however, before Yukino and Rogue went to join their friends, Yukino whispered to her, "Sneak off and go talk to Orga about what's bothering you."

Lucy blushed wildly at Yukino's comment before her friend winked at her and headed towards the pool area. Then Lucy felt chills run up her spine when she heard Orga ask in a husky tone, "Talk to me about what, Tiny?"

"W-well u-um, c-could we go somewhere I guess?" Lucy asked nervously. She had no idea how she would react once she got the nerves to ask him, so she thought it'd be best to not be around a bunch of people.

"Sure," Orga replied calmly before he grabbed her bag then grabbed her up into his arms too.

"Orga!" Lucy eeped in surprise.

Orga just laughed and said, "Hang on." Then he materialized them into lightning and took them away from the guild.

* * *

"Oh my god Orga! Please don't drop me! Where the hell are we?!" Lucy started to ramble out as she looked down at the rocky landscape that surrounded the area near Sabertooth. Then she covered her mouth so she wouldn't throw up.

Orga just laughed and opened his front door and said in a mocked hurt voice, "You still don't trust me?"

"Of course I do," Lucy playfully smacked his shoulder, only getting a grin from Orga before she added, "I was just startled because one minute I'm on the ground and the next it looks like I'm about to fall to my death. At least this time the nausea is going away quicker."

Then Orga carried her into a house and Lucy gasped as she looked around, "This is where you live?!"

"Yep, welcome to my home Tiny," Orga replied as he sat Lucy down.

This...this was unreal. Orga's house had been built inside of the cliff. The walls were made up off the cliffs natural stones and rockiness, but Lucy could tell that they had been smoothed out for a more visually appealing appearance. His house was full of soft lightning and first they stood in the kitchen where she marveled at how sleek everything was with his matching modern appliances and a gorgeous kitchen island. But attached to the kitchen was a living room area with a large black leather, L-shaped sectional. It looked so inviting with the shag rug in front of it with a fire place and the largest lacrima tv she had ever seen.

Orga grabbed her hand and said, "Let me show you something."

Then he led her to his bedroom, of all things, but then Lucy gasped as Orga pulled back some curtains to reveal a giant panoramic view of the countryside. The starry night sky looked beautiful as it contrasted with the desert like landscape of the area. Then Lucy's eyes widened when she saw a balcony and yelled, "You have your own pool!"

Orga just chuckled and replied, "Want to go for a swim? I have it heated so even though we are high up, the water stays a perfect temperature."

"Sure!" Lucy said excitedly. She nearly forgot her exhaustion from the long day she had just had because she was so excited to be with Orga again.

* * *

Orga let her use the master bathroom to change which was just as breathtaking as the rest of his house, but then she frowned because she couldn't help but wonder if Minerva has been here too. Then because she was so deep in her thoughts, she didn't pay attention to the swimsuit that Virgo had popped out to give her.

She changed without looking at it and walked out to see that Orga was waiting for her. Her eyes widened when his jaw dropped and then she finally looked down and swore in her head in at least five different languages because of Virgo's mischievousness.

Lucy's top was another mint color that tied behind her neck. However, unlike a regular bikini, this one had a two strips of gathered cloth that came down in an X-pattern that exposed an enormous amount of breast before it tied in the back. The bottoms were black cheeky swim bottoms and Lucy couldn't believe that Virgo thought that this much skin was acceptable—even by her own standards. Then to top it all off, Orga's lacrima necklace hung around her neck like a beacon to show everyone who she belonged too.

Orga had regained his composure though as he lead her out to his pool. She dipped her toe into it and Orga was right, it was the perfect temperature. Lucy eased herself into the pool as Orga sat on the side with his legs hanging in.

Lucy looked up at the stars and couldn't believe how so many things could happen in 24 hours. Then Lucy looked at Orga who met her gaze as he asked, "So, what is it that you need to talk to me about that's bothering you?"

"You know, I'm getting really tired of everyone's Slayer hearing," Lucy mumbled before she sighed.

Orga remained quiet though because he could tell that something was really bothering Lucy. Lucy however was doing her best not to cry. She was tired and frazzled and this was probably a stupid and bad idea, but she knew it would eat away at her if she didn't know.

She couldn't look at Orga as she looked down at the water and asked quietly, "Why didn't you tell me about Minerva?"

"What about her?" Orga asked very confused.

Lucy looked at him and replied with an edgier tone, "Oh I don't know, maybe how you used to be fu—...had sexual relations."

Orga took a deep breath, now understanding the issue and he replied honestly, "I guess it never came up because I don't ever think about her. It's not like I'd purposely keep it from you."

"Really?! You never think about her?" Lucy asked still very upset and she knew she probably sounded jealous.

"The only time it crossed my mind on our mission was when you thought you saw her. I didn't think it was appropriate to give you my sexual history at that time since you were under a lot of stress because of the visions," Orga admitted as he watched Lucy try to process the information.

"So you don't miss her or whatever?" Lucy asked still upset.

"No," Orga replied.

Lucy felt tears run down her face as she admitted, "It bothers me though...after what she did to me. Then thinking about you two together...I-I just..."

Then Lucy felt Orga's arms wrap around her and he pulled her into his embrace. She couldn't hold back after she felt him there and started to cry harder.

She couldn't stop crying when she heard Orga say, "Lucy, I was a different person then. I've made a lot of mistakes and that was definitely one of them. Obviously if I knew then what I know now then I would have done a lot of things differently."

She couldn't help but smile slightly when Orga actually said her name, it was her way of knowing he was 100% serious. But then she asked quietly, "S-so you don't want to be with her? Are there others I should know about?"

"No, I don't want to be with her. Just so you know, you are the only person I have ever allowed to come to my house. She has never been here or anyone else in Sabertooth, because I like my alone time and privacy. Also, Minerva was the only person that I had sex with more than once, the rest were one night stands. But I have no feelings for her and I didn't even have feelings for her then," Orga said in a genuine tone, but clearly ashamed by his past. Then he put his hand under Lucy's chin so that he could look into her tear filled brown eyes and added, "My heart will always belong to you and no one else."

Lucy could tell that Orga was telling the truth about everything. She felt silly for ever doubting him. Yet the way he looked at her now sent flames through her veins. She felt like she needed him physically. She knew she wasn't ready to make a decision about the future, but she knew what she wanted in this moment when she whispered, "Remind me."

Realization spread across Orga's face and his own words echoed in his mind from the mountain, that if she ever needed a reminder about how he felt then to let him know. He looked at the woman in his arms and saw a need in her eyes that he knew would make it hard to hold back. Orga didn't keep her waiting any longer as he lifted her up out of the water so that he could taste her sweet lips once more.

Lucy moaned at the sudden tenacity that Orga displayed and felt her need for him grow. She wrapped her arms and legs around him as her body begged for more. She shuddered with pleasure as his masculine hands roamed across her body and her breasts pressed into his muscular chest.

Then without thinking Lucy breathily moaned, "Orga, I've missed you so much."

Orga smirked while he continued to ravage her body with kisses before he replied, "I've missed you more than you'll ever know, Lucy."

Lucy felt the side of the pool press against her back as her hands roamed down Orga's muscular chest. Then Lucy groaned when she felt Orga's huge hardened member press up against her aching core. She wanted to swear at the massive size, but she wasn't too surprised with how large Orga was, but Lucy started to wonder if it would even fit inside of her—if that day ever came.

Suddenly Orga put his hands on her shoulders and pulled away. They were both panting when Orga said, "Tiny, we better stop."

Lucy felt a pang in chest, but she knew it was true. She felt guilty for pushing Orga so hard. Then she thought of Laxus and felt even guiltier.

Lucy looked at Orga and asked, "Two months? Can you give me two months?"

Orga looked at her before he put his hand on her head as he replied, "I already told you that I'd wait for you for as long as you needed."

She couldn't help but smile at him faintly. He was incredible, but she needed more time. She needed to be with her team again so that she could clear her head and feel normal.

Then Orga said kindly, "You should probably get some sleep anyways. You look like you are about to fall over from exhaustion. Plus my bed is super comfy."

Lucy just laughed as they got out of the pool. It was like she didn't have to worry about anything with Orga. She loved being with him again.

* * *

She quickly showered because she could feel her body start to shake from lack of sleep. After she brushed her teeth, she put on a tight black tank top with hot pink cotton shorts and went to find Orga. She smiled and leaned against the door-frame to his bedroom as he got a glass of water. He looked as though he just showered too and was shirtless with black athletic shorts on. She felt a certain warmth spread through her that she had never felt before. It's not like he was doing anything special...it was just him.

He turned around and asked, "Do you want a drink?"

She laughed because of course he knew that she had been standing there admiring him. "That sounds nice," Lucy replied with a smile.

Orga smiled back a filled up another glass before he handed it to her. After she took a drink, he gently grabbed her hand and led her to his bedroom. Lucy smiled because it was just like on the mountain when they crawled into bed together and Lucy started to tell Orga about the mission and how she had found the criminals.

However Orga had been too right, his bed was amazing and so soft. Her eyes started to close as she faced Orga, then she felt him gently kiss her head as he whispered, "Goodnight Tiny."

Lucy smiled and mumbled out, "Night Or-chan."

* * *

The next morning Lucy heard a ringing sound and opened her eyes groggily. She looked around and saw that Orga wasn't in bed and then realized that it was her communication lacrima ringing. When she tried to reach for her bag, her legs got tangled in the sheets and she fell off of Orga's bed.

"Shit," she muttered from her own stupid pain before she grabbed the lacrima and huffed, "What?"

She wasn't usually a morning person to begin with but today she was even crankier than usual. Her eyes widened when she saw Erza staring back at her and then heard Natsu yell in the background, "Oi Luce! Get ready!"

"What?" Lucy asked as she tried to rub the sleep out of her eyes.

Erza smiled and said, "When I called to check in with Master after my mission, he told me about how you had saved all those girls and Laxus said you took one of them to Sabertooth."

Lucy nodded her head before Erza continued, "I met up with Natsu and Happy because their mission was near mine and suggested a plan before we called Gray and you."

"What kind of plan?" Lucy yawned because she really wanted to go back to bed.

"Team Natsu reuniting!" Happy cheered in the background.

"Gray can meet us in Crocus around noon, if you can meet us too, then we can all head back together but complete a simple mission along the way," Erza said not being able to hide her own happiness.

"Oh my gosh that will be so much fun!" Lucy yelled as she jumped up, now excited about the day.

Erza nodded and said, "So can you meet us at the city gate at noon?"

Lucy looked and saw that it was only 8:30, so she'd have plenty of time to say her goodbyes then meet her team. "That sounds perfect!" she replied with a smile.

"I'm all fired up!" Natsu yelled behind Erza.

"Aye Siiiiiir!" Happy cheered.

Erza smiled and said, "See you then."

Lucy smiled as the screen went dark. Then she got up and went to look for Orga. She smiled when she saw him in the kitchen making eggs.

"Morning," Orga said without even turning around.

She shook her head and then asked, "Do you always know when I'm close."

Orga turned around and handed her a plate of food and replied with a smile, "Sorry, it's that stupid Slayer power you hate so much."

Lucy narrowed her eyes at him playfully and replied, "I don't hate it; just sometimes it's irksome. But is that why you looked around in the guild yesterday? Could you sense me or something?"

"Yeah, I picked up your scent," Orga replied as he sat down next to her with his own plate.

"Do I stink that bad that you can smell my stench after I leave an area?" Lucy asked jokingly and accidentally made Orga choke on his orange juice from laughter.

Lucy started to laugh when Orga wiped his mouth and he replied, "No you don't stink. I love your scent."

Lucy began to blush when she replied, "I like your scent too. I know I don't have a nose like a Slayer, but you still smell good."

Orga arched his eyebrows and asked, "What do I smell like to you?"

"Like the smell you get right before a great thunderstorm. It's one of my favorite smells because I love the rain and it always calms me," Lucy said shyly.

Orga just nudged Lucy making her blush more before he asked, "So how is everyone doing? Do Lupus and Andromeda like Fairy Tail? Did Virgo enjoy punishing the criminals?"

Lucy felt a warm glow coming from her keys and she smiled at Orga. He probably had no idea how much it meant to her that he cared enough to ask. So she started to update him on training and how she had to stop Virgo from hurting the men too much, to which Orga found very amusing.

* * *

The rest of the morning almost went by too quickly. Orga took Lucy back to Sabertooth were she got to say goodbye to Yukino, Eve, Diane, and Veronica. Lucy smiled at how well Eve was already doing as she told Lucy about her new bedroom and toys.

Orga sat next to Lucy the whole time and Eve kept looking at him while she was trying to talk to Lucy. Eve didn't seem overly scared of Orga for some reason, but then she said suddenly as she continued to look at Orga, "Aunt Lucy, your necklace reminds me of him."

Lucy looked down at the lightning lacrima around her neck and replied, "Well that's because he made it for me."

Eve's eyes widened in shock and then asked, "Is he your boyfriend?"

Lucy laughed nervously and could feel Orga trying not to laugh next to her. She couldn't really explain to a young girl that right now she was in a love triangle with two hot men.

Then Sting walked up and said to Eve, "The lllllllike each other."

Many of the members of Sabertooth laughed at their master and Lucy felt her face heat up from embarrassment while Eve asked, "So is he like my Uncle then?"

"I sure am kiddo," Orga replied very amused by the whole situation before he asked Eve, "Has Aunt Lucy introduced you to Plue yet?"

"No!" Eve said excitedly.

Lucy sighed in relief as she summoned out Plue and the attention went to someone else.

"He's so cute!" Eve yelled.

"Pu-puun," Plue said as his body shook. Then the Dog Spirit saw Orga and lunged for him and yelled louder, "PU-PUUN!"

Lucy's mouth fell open as Plue climbed on top of Orga's head and Orga said, "Hey Buddy, I missed you too."

As Lucy watched the interactions between Orga, Eve, and Plue, she knew that Orga was captivating her heart more and more.

* * *

It was finally nearing noon when Lucy hugged Eve goodbye one more time and then escaped a hug from Sting. Then she grabbed her bag and headed out of the guild with Orga.

"You ready?" Orga asked with a laugh as Lucy jumped into his arms.

"Yep, and let me apologize ahead of time if my team does anything stupid," Lucy said with a laugh.

"It couldn't be worse than the last time we met your guild mates," Orga chuckled.

Lucy just shrugged her shoulders, because with Natsu it could be worse...much, much worse. Then Orga materialized into his black lightning and took them to Crocus.

* * *

When they landed, Lucy had her eyes closed and took a few deep breaths. It didn't work because the nausea was still there, but again it was even less than earlier in the day.

"You'll get used to it eventually," Orga said with a chuckle and then Lucy nodded her head in understanding.

Then they heard the voice of Erza say, "Well this is becoming a regular sight; seeing Lucy in Orga's arms."

"They llllllike each other," Happy snickered.

Lucy blushed wildly at her amused armored friend and then saw an annoyed looking Gray and Natsu. Then when Orga sat Lucy down, Erza added, "It's good to see you again Orga."

"You too," Orga replied to the red haired women.

Then Lucy heard Gray ask coldly, "So what are your intentions with Lucy?"

"Oi! I was going to ask that!" Natsu yelled as Lucy face-palmed.

"I would like to know as well," Erzs stated, "Lucy thinks very highly of you."

Orga kept his normal stoic face we he replied bluntly, "My intentions are to date Lucy, but only when she's ready."

"Date?!" Natsu yelled as his fist lit up in flames, "What about Minerva?!"

"Natsu," Lucy said calmly because she knew Natsu was just trying to protect her heart, "Orga told me about Minerva."

"And you trust him?" Gray nearly spat out.

Lucy held up her keys and simultaneously summoned out Loke, Virgo, Capricorn, Taurus, and Sagittarius. Natsu and Gray looked at her in shock, but Erza just smiled. Then Lucy said, "I'm this strong thanks to him. I'd trust him with my life and I already have."

Then Loke turned and said to Gray, "He's a good guy."

Gray raised his eyebrows in surprise that his friend defended the Sabertooth Mage. The Ice-Mage shrugged his shoulders and said, "If Loke says he's cool, then I don't have a problem."

However Natsu continued to study Orga and then finally said, "So I guess I'll tell Mira that baby Mint will be her godchild."

"Kyyyyyaaaaaaa!" Lucy screamed as she tried to cover Natsu's mouth.

Orga had no idea what was going on as he watched the interactions of the overly excited team and Virgo asked Lucy if she could punish Natsu, to which Natsu oddly enough agreed. Then Loke went over to talk to Gray; however, Erza walked up to him and said, "I'm sure you are aware that Laxus also has feelings for Lucy."

"I am," Orga said seriously.

Erza nodded then added, "Lucy's spirits are very protective of her, especially Loke since she saved his life. I trust their judgement and Lucy's too. However, I want to make sure that this isn't some type of competition between you and Laxus."

Orga looked at Erza and replied, "I told her I'd wait for her. If she chooses Dreyar then I will back off, because I want her to be happy. I'd never hurt her by thinking she is some type of object to be won."

Erza gave him a curious smile as though she were studying him before she nodded and said, "Good. You have my permission to court her."

"Thanks," Orga said in his monotone voice, but couldn't help as a faint smile touched his lips.

* * *

Finally after Natsu had calmed down, the team started to get ready to leave. Erza dragged the boys off so Lucy could have a moment alone with Orga.

Lucy looked at Orga with a sad smile and said, "Looks like this is goodbye again."

Orga smiled back then gave Lucy a gentle hug before he replied, "I'm sure we will see each other soon."

"Orga, thanks for clearing things up with me about Minerva. Also, I promise to give you an answer soon. It's been a crazy month and once I spend some time with my team I'll figure things out," Lucy said honestly. She hated the idea of not having Orga in her life, but she needed to know if there was more than just physical attraction with Laxus. She felt like a floozy, but she didn't want to have any doubt once she made a decision.

"I told you it's alright. I'm in this for the long haul. Yes it sucks, I'm not going to lie, but I want you to be happy," Orga said honestly.

Lucy felt tears running down her eyes and she gently kissed Orga on his cheek. This was getting harder to do. She looked at him and said, "I'll call you later, ok?"

"Sure thing. Have fun with your team," Orga replied.

Lucy nodded and then went to get on the carriage with her friends as Orga turned into lightning and headed back to Sabertooth.

* * *

After the short errand mission was over, Team Natsu was finally on their way back home. Luckily Natsu and Happy were both asleep so it was a fairly quiet ride. Erza and Gray looked at each other because they could tell Lucy was troubled. It had been so long since the last time they were actually together longer than brief moments in passing at the guild. So much had changed.

Finally it was Gray that spoke up and said, "Lucy, why don't you tell us what's bothering you."

There was a brief pause before Lucy retorted anxiously, "Oh you mean like how there are two guys that like me and I feel like I'm leading them along?"

"That's not true Lucy. Orga knows the risks yet he just wants you to be happy," Erza stated to her sad looking friend.

"Who's the other guy?" Gray asked in confusion.

"Laxus," Erza said in disbelief that Gray did not already know when that's what all the girls were talking about in Fairy Tail constantly.

"What?" Gray still asked again, "He's not close to Lucy at all. At least Orga makes sense since he helped Lucy with her magic. Has Laxus even ever talked to you?"

"I just finished a mission with him remember?" Lucy replied as she looked at Gray.

"Doesn't sound like he was around to be much help since you did it on your own," Gray snorted out.

Lucy didn't respond because she had remembered the fight that she and Laxus got in before he left. She still wanted to cry as she thought about Pyxis crying. Then she thought about how Plue had attacked Orga in excitement to see him again, but she still had doubts...about everything.

Then Erza interrupted her thoughts and said, "A lot is on your mind and we will support you no matter what you decide. We will be here when you need to talk."

"Thanks guys," Lucy said with a faint smile as she reached out and held onto Erza's hand.

She had no idea what to do. All she could think about was how she was getting further away from Orga with each roll of the carriage and closer to Laxus. She had thought about what Bickslow had said to her a lot, so she decided that when she got back home she was going to find Laxus and give him a piece of her mind.

* * *

It was late in the evening when Team Natsu arrived back in Magnolia; however, everyone wanted to go to the guild to catch up with everyone plus Lucy knew she needed to collect her reward from the Raijinshu or Laxus.

The moment that the team entered the guild, cheers erupted and everyone shouted a greeting to them. Then Lucy heard Max yell at her, "Hey Lucy, everyone is talking about what a badass you are now for taking on a group of criminals singlehandedly!"

"Lucy's always been a badass!" Levy spoke up boldly.

"Lucy is a man!" Elfman agreed with a proud passion.

"I never said she wasn't. I knew she was always the smartest on Team Natsu, but it looks like when she's not with her team she can walk away with a full reward and still get the job done," Max laughed as he and Warren got more beers from Mira.

"You want to go Max?!" Natsu yelled in annoyance, "Happy and I are way smart!"

"I wouldn't go that far," Wakaba laughed with Macao.

"Ahhhhh!" Natsu yelled as he lunged at all of them, thus causing a typical guild fight.

Lucy looked around and saw Freed talking to Mira, trying to ignore the brawl around them. She headed over and said happily, "Hey Mira, hey Freed! Did you guys let Master know how the mission went?"

Freed smiled politely then said, "Yes, Laxus reported in with him when we got back last night. Apparently the town is going to erect a statue in honor of you and your spirits."

Lucy began to blush wildly and laugh nervously before she said, "Well…they don't have to do that."

"I think it's wonderful!" Mira beamed with happiness before she got hit in the head with a flying a mug.

"Oh my god Mira!" Freed and Lucy yelled in unison.

"I'm fine!" Mira smiled before she blacked out in happiness.

"I'll take her to the infirmary, because it looks like Erza is dealing with the fight," Freed said as they watched Erza knock Natsu out cold. Then Freed added, "Laxus is in his office with your reward."

Lucy nodded and watched Freed carry Mira off and Erza berated everyone for acting like idiots. Then Lucy looked up the stairs with a heavy sigh. She knew she'd have to face Laxus sooner or later, so she decided to go ahead and get it over with.

Her breathing became slightly erratic with each step that she took up the stairs towards Laxus's office. She wanted to tell him off again, but then she felt guilty for making out with Orga pretty hard core last night. Not that she regretted that, because Orga's lips were amazing and she was getting herself worked up just thinking about it again. But then she and Laxus had made out on their mission too. Then again Laxus had insulted her spirits. Why did everything have to feel so complicated?

Lucy took a deep breath and lightly knocked on the door before she heard Laxus say, "Come in."

When she walked in, it felt like her heart had stopped a little. Laxus was staring down at a stack of papers with his hands in his hair. It looked like he hadn't slept in days.

Lucy swallowed hard before she stuttered out, "U-um h-hi."

Laxus's stormy eyes met hers and a sense of relief flooded his face. He sighed and replied, "Hey."

Lucy closed the door behind her and it immediately drowned out the sound of the commotion going on in the guild. She suddenly found herself at a loss for words. Everything she had wanted to say, or thought she wanted to say, had suddenly left her mind and flew out the window.

But then Laxus interrupted her thoughts and said seriously, "Lucy, I am sorry for everything."

Laxus never took his gaze off of her when he continued, "I'm sorry for bossing you around in Shirotsume, I'm sorry for acting like an asshole, I'm sorry for making it seem like all I want is sex, I'm sorry for bringing up Minerva because that was a low blow, and I'm sorry for insulting your spirits."

Lucy found herself not being able to say anything. What could she say really? She wasn't sure if she could forgive him tonight. She was extremely protective of her spirits and she didn't forgive as quickly when it regarded them. So instead she just nodded her head that she understood.

Laxus took in a deep breath as he got up and walked around his desk. Lucy realized she had still be standing in the middle of the room then Laxus handed her the reward money before he leaned up against his desk and said, "Mr. Mori told Gramps that he had never seen a more wonderful mage in his entire life. You were pretty amazing."

Lucy smiled slightly and replied, "Thanks Laxus."

"I mean it," Laxus said, "You figured out what was happening before we did and handled it by yourself. You acted quickly, but you were smart about it. I told Gramps that he should consider you for the S-Class exams."

"W-what!?" Lucy stuttered out in shock.

Laxus gave her a slight smile before he added, "Don't look so surprised. Everyone can see how much you've grown in such a short time."

Lucy didn't know how she felt about being an S-Class mage. It probably just meant Natsu would destroy more things. Still it felt nice knowing that Laxus had recommended her.

She looked at him with a smile and replied, "Thanks."

"There's something else I wanted to say. I think I've been going about being friends with you the wrong way. How about tomorrow, when you come to the guild, we get lunch here and visit for a bit with our friends?" Laxus asked sincerely before he added, "Then you can tell me about this Eve that Bickslow and Ever keep raving about."

Lucy felt a warmth spread through her heart as she answered, "Laxus, I would like that a lot."


	37. Chapter 37

A week had gone by at Fairy Tail. Lucy and the rest of Team Natsu did small missions around or near Magnolia together because they all were enjoying being at home again. Every day they would hang out at the guild with everyone and just relax as fall finally started.

Lucy also enjoyed training in the mornings with her Spirits and Erza joined her one day so that Lupus could teach her new techniques against a different opponent. Lucy and Andromeda watched as Erza and Lupus went at it and was completely amazed that Lupus even caught Erza off guard at one point and disarmed her. Erza and Lupus became fast friends.

However, Lucy was still struggling with her internal dilemma of the two very sexy lightning men. Every day she had lunch with Laxus and her team or the Raijinshu. Lucy was actually surprised because the guild seemed to be very calm, almost unusually so, about Laxus and Lucy hanging out together. However, Lucy and Orga still spoke every day in the evening. She knew she was probably making everything harder on herself but she just tried to live in the moment—but it was starting to get to her.

* * *

One morning after Lucy had finished training, she went to the guild so that she could eat breakfast with her team. When she walked in Mira smiled and said, "Good morning Lucy! Laxus said that he needs to speak with you. He's up in his office."

Lucy blinked a few times because Mira had a scheming look on her face, but Lucy just replied, "Um…ok. Thanks Mira."

Lucy ran up the stairs towards Laxus's office and gently knocked on the door. "Come in," Laxus answered calmly on the other side.

When she walked in, she looked around because she wasn't sure why Mira had that look on her face. However, Laxus looked like his usual self, before he looked up he greeted her, "Hey Blondie."

"Hey," Lucy said as she looked around again before she said, "Mira said you wanted to talk to me."

Laxus got a smirk on his face before he stood up and handed her a job request that read:

_Mysterious Cave has endless howling at night._

_Please solve the problem so that we can sleep._

_Reward 50,000 Jewels and two Silver Gate Celestial Keys_

Lucy's eyes widened in excitement and she yelled, "Oh my gosh! TWO KEYS!"

"I know that you are more than capable of doing the mission on your own," Laxus answered honestly, "But if you want, I'd like to tag along with you."

Lucy looked at the mission that she held. On one hand it would be a way to get some alone time with Laxus to get to know him better, but on the other hand she felt guilty about Orga. However, she knew that Orga wanted her to figure things out. She just felt so guilty about everything for both men.

She looked into Laxus's stormy eyes and the man was delicious looking with his scar and serious posture. She smiled at him and replied, "Sure that sounds great. Can we leave today?"

"Sure, we can leave by noon if you want. It looks like we will have to take a magical vehicle because it's a small village out in the middle of nowhere so taking a train wouldn't be helpful," Laxus added in as he began to put away his paperwork.

"Ok, so I'll run home and get ready. Do you want to meet at my place?" Lucy asked slightly nervous.

"Yeah, see you soon," Laxus replied as he grabbed his coat from the back of his chair.

Lucy nodded then went down the stairs. She smiled when she saw her team waiting at their usual table so she ran up to tell them what was up. "Hey guys!" Lucy said with a bright smile.

"Oi Luce! Erza said that Lupus is an awesome fighter! Can I fight him!?" Natsu asked with his cheesy grin.

"Maybe another time," Lucy answered with a smile before she said, "So u-um…I'm going to go on a mission with Laxus."

Gray arched his eyebrow and Erza asked kindly, "What kind?"

Lucy handed her the request and Gray couldn't help but lean over and read over the red head's shoulder. Then Erza added, "Oh two keys. That would be amazing."

Natsu pouted and said, "I wanted to go on another mission with you though."

Lucy patted her friend's back and added sweetly, "I'll be back at the end of the week, and then we can go on a mission together."

Erza and Lucy looked at each other and Erza said, "Don't feel guilty about it. Just try to enjoy yourself."

"I think it's stupid," Gray said bluntly.

"Why?" Lucy asked suddenly and in shock because Gray had sounded so stern.

"I just feel like Laxus is only interested in you because he feels threatened by Orga. If he wanted to get to know you, maybe he should have done that during Phantom Lord when Mira asked him for help. Or during Fantasia before he tried to blow up your ass," Gray snorted out in annoyance.

"Oi, Laxus is nakama," Natsu said angrily in his guild mate's defense.

"I never said he wasn't," Gray shot back, "I know he's different and he's good. I just don't think he's good enough for Lucy."

"I'm just trying to figure out my feelings," Lucy said quietly.

"I'm not blaming you, Lucy. It's just don't feel like you need to give Laxus tons of time out of some weird guilt. The way I see it, he's had more opportunity than Orga to get to know you because you've been in the same fucking guild. Just don't act like you owe him anything," Gray stated before he took a drink of his ice water.

"Not to make you feel pressure or anything," Erza added in, "I somewhat agree with Gray. I understand the physical attraction you have towards Laxus, but if he wanted to be friends with you I think he should have said something sooner. Having said that though, I understand why you would go on this mission with him because if you decide you want to pursue something further with Orga—you need to know that your heart is in it 100%. Plus, if Laxus is serious then he would still want to be your friend and want you to be happy."

Lucy let out a heavy sigh. She knew he friends were trying to help, but she honestly felt a little overwhelmed. "Thanks for caring guys," Lucy said with a smile.

"We just want you to be happy," Erza said with a smile.

"Thanks, I'll keep what you guys said in mind," Lucy replied honestly.

"Try to have fun and I can't wait to meet our new Celestial friends," Erza stated with a happy nod.

"Ok, I'll see you guys at the end of the week!" Lucy smiled at them and waved goodbye as she headed to her apartment to grab her things.

* * *

Laxus met Lucy at her apartment at noon. He had already rented a magical vehicle for them and told her that they should try and get as far as they could, because he could feel a thunderstorm starting to brew in the direction that they were going to head in. The job request came from a small village called Albion that was southwest of Magnolia near the coast.

As they made their way to the small village of Albion, Lucy held onto Plue as she sat next to Laxus who was driving. She looked at him out of the corner of her eye then blushed when his blue eyes met her gaze.

Laxus cleared his throat then asked, "So how is your training going?"

"Good, Lupus and Capricorn are both pretty strict so it's a pretty rough schedule but I love it," Lucy replied with a smile before she asked, "So when are the S-Class exams?"

Laxus got a grin on his face then said, "I already told you more than I was supposed to about them. I guess you'll have to wait and see Blondie."

Lucy just shook her head at him before she sent Plue back to the Celestial Realm. She was just about to ask him something else when a bright streak of lightning shot across the sky, making her jump in her seat. The lightning was soon followed by a booming thunder that was so loud it practically shook her bones.

Laxus looked at the sky and said, "Normally I would like to travel further, but this storm looks like it's going to be a bad one. We are out in the middle of nowhere and we should honestly make camp for the night before the storm hits and before it gets too dark."

Lucy just nodded in agreement because she would let Laxus be the judge since he was the lightning expert. She suddenly began to feel uneasy and wasn't sure why.

"You ok?" Laxus asked in concern as he looked over at Lucy. Her eyes were wide as she looked up at the sky.

"Yeah…I'll be fine," Lucy replied shakily.

Laxus didn't push her any further, but he could smell her nerves and watched as her eyes kept flickering to the skies. However, Lucy deep down knew she was being silly. It was just the last lightning storm she had been in was on the mountain fighting Andromeda. She logically knew Andromeda was safe now and would never hurt her, but she couldn't help but remember all those nights where she felt like she was going crazy when she would see the visions of Minerva, Future Rogue, and her Father. On the mountain though, she had Orga who had kept her safe. She knew that she was equally safe with Laxus now, but she still felt uneasy as she remembered those long nights and the nightmares that went with them. They reminded her of how weak she had once felt.

* * *

Laxus found them a place to camp that had good coverage as they set up their tents and got prepared. Virgo helped Laxus reinforce the tents while Lucy quickly made them a soup to eat before the storm hit. Once Virgo was finished, the Maid Spirit disappeared back into the Celestial Realm while Lucy and Laxus ate. Lucy almost laughed at the turn of events. She realized the last time she was camping in the woods was with Orga when they were on their way to Samui Yama; however, she had also been on medicine that made her hit on him continuously and give her one of the sexiest dreams she had ever had about Laxus. It was funny how almost the opposite was happening right now. So much had changed since she first took the mission to Samui Yama almost two months ago.

Finally Laxus said, "I'll clean up the dishes. You should probably get in your tent. It's going to be a pretty bad storm." Then a crackle of lightning streaked across the sky again.

Normally Lucy would probably argue with him, because she wanted to help, but this time she listened to Laxus's advice and stood up before she asked, "Will you be fine though?"

"The storm won't bother me," Laxus stated honestly.

Lucy just nodded then got into her tent. She smiled when she saw that Virgo, and apparently Aries, fixed the inside of her tent with lots of fluffy blankets and pillows so it didn't even feel like she was sitting on the hard ground. She could hear the wind howling outside and had no way of knowing if Laxus was even back yet as the sky darkened.

She tried to cover herself up with a lot of blankets as the tent shook around her and the thundered bellowed in the sky. Then Lucy's eyes widened when her communication lacrima let up. She dove for it and saw Orga on the other side. His eyes widened when he asked her, "Tiny, what's wrong?"

"I'm on a mission and there is a bad storm," Lucy said quietly as she put a blanket over her head like a cloak.

"Are you alone?" Orga asked with worry.

Lucy shook her head no and then replied, "Laxus is here because he found a mission with two keys today, but I don't know if he made it back to his own tent. We had to stop in the middle of nowhere because of the storm."

Orga nodded his head solemnly before Lucy added, "I don't know why…I just feel so nervous. It reminds me of when we were on the mountain when I saw my visions. I shouldn't feel scared, this is stupid. I freed Andromeda so I shouldn't let this bother me."

"It's not stupid, Tiny. Even though you overcame something your memory of the bad parts of the mission and how you felt are still there. Just try and takes some deep breaths," Orga said in a pained voice. Lucy could tell that he was worried and probably felt frustrated that he couldn't help.

A loud boom of thunder shook the tent and the ground around their campsite. Then Lucy felt like an idiot as she started to cry. Suddenly the door to her tent opened and in walked a rain covered Laxus. The blonde slayer looked at Lucy with pained eyes then looked at Orga on the communication lacrima.

The Slayers remained quiet before Orga finally asked, "Will you please sit with her until the storm passes?"

Lucy's eyes widened at Orga and he looked at her with a pained face before he added, "Dreyar won't let anything happen to you."

Lucy was just about to say something when Orga finished with, "Get some rest Tiny." Then the lacrima went dark.

She felt like a huge ass for everything then shuddered under her blanket again when another boom of thunder filled the sky. Laxus had pulled a towel out from under his coat and dried himself off before he took a seat next to her. She could tell that he almost looked as uncomfortable as she did because of what Orga had said.

Then suddenly Lucy felt Laxus's arms wrap around her as he pulled her down onto the soft pallets in her tent and he said seriously, "The storm will let up in the morning."

Lucy just nodded and remained in Laxus's arms as the tent shook from the wind. His embrace was warm and his scent smelled like sandalwood. She found it oddly calming despite her frazzled nerves as she closed her eyes and breathed in his masculine scent before she drifted off to sleep to dream about her two brave lightning men.

* * *

**There is not a town called Albion in Fiore. I just used it for this story, because I love the name and the Arthurian Legend which has Morgan le Fey. Fey=Fairy=Fairy Tail. So that's how my mind justified it, haha.**


	38. Chapter 38

Laxus laid on the floor of the tent with Lucy in his arms. He felt somewhat helpless as she kept whimpering in her sleep—clearly having nightmares. He didn't have a clue why or why Orga had willingly asked him to stay with her. What kind of game was the Sabertooth Mage playing?

If he would have known that Lucy would be panicking like this then he would have grabbed his headphones so she could listen to music to drown out the storm. He didn't really understand what was going on and he honestly felt like he was under some huge amount of pressure to preform or act the right way so that Lucy would like him.

He had got his ass handed to him by Bickslow on the last mission that he and Lucy had gone on together. He knew he acted like an asshole and now he felt like he was walking on eggshells. Sure he and Lucy had spent the last week together at the guild, but how were they supposed to get closer when she talked to Orga every damn day. He felt frustrated for the first time at trying to win a girl's affections. Usually they came to him, not the other way around. He had just spent two weeks with Lucy and only seemed to push her away more. The truth is, he didn't know how to deal with it.

Suddenly a large bolt of lightning struck outside of their campsite and it made Lucy wake up with a scream. "I'm right here Blondie," Laxus tried to say in a reassuring tone.

He felt like shit as Lucy began to cry. He pulled her close and asked, "Can you tell me what's wrong so that I know how to help?"

Lucy sobbed quietly as she shivered and tried to catch her breath. Then she wiped away her tears before she choked out, "On my mission on Samui Yama, the first week there the corrupted version of Andromeda tried to get me to leave really bad. I kept seeing things, hearing them, and dreaming them. I would have dreams that I went back to Fairy Tail and I'd find everyone dead and that it was all my fault. I thought I was losing my mind. I just keep remembering that for some reason and I don't know why, but I guess I feel vulnerable."

Laxus remembered Lucy had told his Gramps some of that when she reported on her mission. He remembered all too well that when she was on the mountain with Orga that he had lots of dreams about her too, because he had been so worried. Plus when he saw the vision of her in Shirotsume calling out to him for help. It had been a rough time for everyone involved.

Then he looked at her and asked, "Well what helped you then? So that you could sleep?"

When Lucy didn't reply, it dawned on him before he stated in annoyance, "Orga."

Lucy just nodded and he let out a sigh. This guy was becoming a real pain in the ass to live up to. Finally he said a little too harshly, "Well I'm not Orga and Orga isn't here so we will do things my way." He felt Lucy tense before he suggested, "We will play a game."

"A game?" Lucy asked as she looked at him curiously.

"Yeah," Laxus groaned, "This is your opportunity to ask me any question, but the answers stay in the tent between us and I promise to answer them all honestly. Sorcerer's Weekly would kill for this opportunity."

His plan was working when Lucy sat up and stared at him in shock. It thundered outside, but Lucy only flinched a little because she had stayed focused on him. "You don't have to do that," she whispered out.

"I know, but if we are going to continue to pursue whatever it is between us then you should know everything that you want to know and I don't want to keep anything from you. Now I can't be for certain, but since you are still speaking with Orga you must have talked to him about Minerva or you ignored it, I don't really know or care. Either way I guess you should know my dirty laundry too," Laxus stated as he shrugged his shoulders.

He watched as Lucy's brows furrowed together in annoyance before she asked, "Do you always have to act like an asshole?"

Laxus put his arms behind his head as he stretched out in the tent and replied, "Well to answer your first question, I've been known to quite frequently act like an asshole."

He could see that Lucy was practically livid, but at least she was distracted from the storm when he asked her, "Isn't that what attracted you to me?"

"What?!" Lucy asked in horror, "No! What kind of messed up logic is that?!"

"That's what attracts most women. They want what my power and my asshole personality so that they can say they've been with the Great Laxus Dreyar," Laxus stated honestly.

"So you think I want to be with you because you are the arrogant Laxus Dreyar?! No wonder you insulted my spirits! You obviously don't know a damn thing about me!" Lucy practically screeched at him.

"Then what was it?" Laxus challenged her.

If he could have been slain with looks then he would have been a dead man as Lucy glared at him and practically spat out, "Obviously you are attractive. I'd be a liar if I said I wasn't physically attracted to you. But what first drew me to you was the fact that you had admitted you were wrong and worked to change that. You saved my life on Tenroujima along with my team. You stood up to your own father for us at the Games. You fought alongside Wendy during the dragon attack and kept her safe. That's a man worthy of my attention. Not some womanizing asshat."

Then suddenly Laxus found himself grabbing Lucy and captivating her lips with his. He could feel her tense but he deepened the kiss with her before she pulled away and asked him angrily, "What the hell was that?!"

Laxus felt a little bad but honestly said, "Sorry, I just...I've never had a girl like me other than the reasons I gave you before. They always want to know what I could give them…"

He could see Lucy studying him. He had spoken the truth though, he had never heard a woman say that about him and he decided that he would show her how it had made him feel, but he didn't think it all the way through clearly. But then his eyes widened a little when Lucy stated in a flustered tone, "That doesn't give you some right to go around kissing people!"

"Sorry," Laxus said in an apologetic tone then gave her puppy eyes so that she'd forgive him.

He heard Lucy sigh, but she laid back down next to him. She gave him an annoyed look that made him apologize to her again before she said, "Fine, let's play this silly game. How many people have you slept with?"

Laxus gawked at her. She really wasn't holding back when he replied in shame, "I don't know."

She turned to look at him and asked in shock, "What do you mean you don't know?"

He let out a heavy sigh and replied, "Well it's not like I learned everyone's name and sometimes there were multiples at the same time."

Lucy rolled over and said in sadness, "I don't know if I want to hear anymore."

Laxus didn't argue, but he felt like shit. Maybe he hadn't thought this plan out the whole way through either. Then suddenly she rolled over and looked into his eyes and asked, "Then why do you want to date me? I've never been with anyone like that!"

"Because you're everything I'm not," Laxus replied from the heart.

"Why did you wait until I went on my mission for you to decide that you liked me or whatever?" Lucy asked as she crossed her arms under her breasts.

"It bothered me seeing you go with Orga because I knew how good you were and I knew how potentially bad he could be," Laxus replied.

"That didn't really answer my question," Lucy pointed out.

The Dragon Slayer mumbled, "Guess I didn't realize it until I saw you with someone that I view as competition. I'm a pretty jealous person."

"Do you see how that sounds like I'm a game to you?" Lucy asked in annoyance and clearly hurt by his honesty.

"Yes," Laxus answers truthfully, "I saw you almost every day in the guild after the Games and how you interacted with everyone. I would watch as everyone's day got better after they talked to you. Guess I was too scared to get to know you myself after everything I put you through before."

He could see that Lucy was thinking things over carefully. Then she asked, "Are you just trying to get into my pants?"

"And have everyone in the guild, including my Gramps and my team try to kill me? No thanks," Laxus chuckled out nervously.

"Why didn't you help during Phantom Lord?" Lucy asked quietly.

"Other than the reason of me being an asshole?" Laxus asked in surprise.

When Lucy nodded yes he sighed and added, "At the time, I only wanted to get into your pants. You meant nothing to me and it honestly annoyed me how everyone fell in love with you so fast. Even my own Gramps got hurt over a girl that he barely knew because he sees you all as his grandkids along with me and it pissed me off."

He could smell the sadness coming from Lucy so he quickly said, "I know how wrong and stupid I was, but that is what I thought at the time and I hate myself for it. I was wrong. I've been wrong when it comes to a lot of things about you and was very wrong about the guild in the past—I don't think like that anymore."

"What is it that you want from me?" Lucy asked as she wiped a few years away.

"First to be your friend—whether that means you chose Orga, me, or neither of us," Laxus replied honestly. He had never felt so vulnerable before as he waited for her to respond.

"If Mira had her way, I'd chose both of you," Lucy let out a nervous laugh.

Laxus shook his head at the thought of Mira and her relationship craze. He couldn't help but smirk when he said, "That's the one option that wouldn't work. Orga's like me...he's too territorial. However, it's the one thing I don't understand about tonight. He asked me to stay with you, fully knowing the risks that we could get closer in the process."

"Because he wants me to be happy," Lucy surprised him by saying quietly, "Clearly if I'm having a panic attack, I'm not happy."

"Do you have any STD's?" Lucy suddenly asked clearly not wanting to talk about the love triangle between all of them.

"No," Laxus replied and couldn't help but laugh at how quickly she had changed the topic.

She shot him another look before she asked another, "How many girls in our guild have you slept with?"

"Girls that are currently in the guild or before the guild shrank?" Laxus asked.

"Current," Lucy answered timidly.

"Two," Laxus sighed.

In her mind flashed the women from her guild. She was afraid to know, because she didn't want to compare herself, but then she just had to know. She gulped before she asked, "Who?"

"Mira and Laki," he replied.

Lucy buried her face in her pillow, because of course one would be the flawless Mira. But then she asked in shock, "Laki?!"

"It was one time. Then she said I wasn't experienced enough for her and she liked older men," Laxus told her.

He watched as Lucy started to crack up and she started laughing so hard that she couldn't breathe. He joked with her and said, "See, I've been rejected."

Lucy wiped tears from her eyes but then replied, "Yeah, but you probably weren't going to sleep with her again right? Especially if you didn't bother to learn most of the girls' you been with names."

"Well no, I wasn't. She was into some pretty kinky shit. Even for me," he admitted in embarrassment.

He watched in amusement as Lucy had another fit of laughter. Then she rested her head on her pillow but kept laughing here and there before she looked at him with a mischievous smile and asked, "What kind of kinky stuff?"

Laxus groaned. He didn't want to talk about it, but he had suggested the game so he said, "She liked using her wood-make magic and that's all I'm going to say on the matter."

He watched as Lucy tried to gasp for air as she laughed her ass off. She was really starting to enjoy this a little too much. Then she suppressed her giggles and asked, "Have you and Freed ever kissed? I know he's with Mira, but even Sorcerer's Weekly thinks you guys have a secret relationship hidden from everyone. Plus if you've been with Mira then maybe you guys have had some weird threesome."

He looked at her and said seriously, "Remember, nothing leaves this tent. Got it?"

He watched her eyes widen as she held her breath and nodded her head. He leaned in close to her and whispered, "I've never kissed Freed or any other man."

"Oh come on!" Lucy laughed as she playfully slapped his shoulder.

"I've never kissed my MALE best friend! Sorry to disappoint you, Blondie. I've also never had a threesome with him and Mira. Goddamn, Laki's wood-make up my ass is starting to sound more appealing than the creepy stuff you sound like you're into," Laxus chuckled but then quickly became horrified when he realized what he had let slip.

Lucy stopped giggling and looked at him in realization. "W-wood make dildo?" she snickers out.

"Anal beads," Laxus groaned and then tried to close his eyes from humiliation. He couldn't believe he was doing this, but he supposed it was worth it since Lucy was crying tears of happiness instead of sadness now.

Then he was shocked when he felt Lucy's soft lips brush against his cheek and she whispered, "Thank you, Laxus."

He popped open one of his closed eyes and grumbled, "Yeah, yeah."

"Seriously, I know you are a closed off person and it shows me that you are taking this seriously by answering my questions. I think that's pretty brave of you," Lucy said as she smiled at him.

"You're welcome," Laxus groaned, "But you almost have me wishing I was a virgin again because of all the embarrassing shit I've done."

Then he even laughed as Lucy lost control again and she kept muttering 'wood-make beads.' Thank god a Celestial Mage's word was her bond, so he knew he could trust her—even though he felt incredibly uncomfortable. But he supposed that even if things didn't work out between him and Lucy, she would still be a pretty cool friend to have.

The storm was finally starting to let up a little, but Lucy put her head on his chest before she changed the subject again asked innocently, "So, what is one of your favorite memories with your Grandpa?"


	39. Chapter 39

When Laxus and Lucy woke up, the rain was still pouring down so they ate dried granola in their tent before they packed up in hopes that they would make it to Albion by the afternoon. They had talked until Lucy wore herself out from laughing and Laxus just shook his head every time Lucy murmured anal beads in her sleep. He'd never hear the end of it.

The roads were muddy and dangerous they had stopped several times along their journey to help various people that had their carts or wagons stuck in the mud. Lucy had called the job requesters to let them know that they were on their way, but were being delayed by the storm. The young woman mayor understood, because there was a lot of flooding in the surrounding areas and luckily for now the storm was driving out the howling at night.

Lucy had on a large bright pink oversized rain jacket with polka dot rain boots that were now completely covered in mud. At one point, Laxus had to pull her out of the mud, because her boots got so entrenched in the road. Then after they had climbed back into the vehicle, Lucy let out a loud sneeze.

"You ok there?" Laxus asked as he looked over at her.

Lucy could feel herself shivering from the wet rain and could feel that her socks were soaked—which is one of the worst feelings in the world in her opinion. She sneezed again and just replied, "I'm cold, wet, and miserable."

"Do you want me to stop so you can change?" Laxus asked as Lucy sneezed again.

"Are we much further away?" Lucy asked already exhausted with how much they've done that day.

"We will arrive within the hour unless we stop again," Laxus replied with a little worry in his voice as Lucy started coughing too.

"Then let's just keep going until we get there, unless someone needs our help again," Lucy responded as she leaned back and closed her eyes. Even her body was starting to ache from exhaustion.

Laxus didn't like how pale Lucy was starting to look so he sped up a little to get to Albion as soon as possible.

* * *

Laxus had been right and thankfully no one else needed their assistance again by the time they got to Albion. He was worried because he could tell that Lucy had a slight fever and she needed to get dry and warmed up as soon as possible.

"Blondie, you wait in the vehicle and I'll find the mayor and then get us rooms," Laxus stated and just got an expressionless nod from Lucy before he went to get things sorted out.

Lucy had no idea how long Laxus was gone, but it had felt like forever as she shivered in her seat. She could tell that it was early in the evening and she was hungry, tired, and wanted to lay down. Everything hurt.

Finally the door to the vehicle opened and Laxus sped off down the road a little more. "Where are we going?" Lucy asked as she watched the houses go by.

Laxus grimaced before he replied, "Apparently there is only one place to stay in Albion and that's a tiny little bed and breakfast, where apparently Mira had already made us a reservation."

Lucy blinked a few times, then mentally groaned because if Mira had planned it then obviously she had some hidden motive. It only took a few minutes for them to reach the Victorian looking residence that sat on the edge of the coast. Laxus didn't hesitate when he jumped out and grabbed their things and Lucy drudged behind him in the rain.

She let out a relieved sigh when they stepped into the house and out of the rain. However she grimaced when a large woman with a tight bun on top of her head screeched, "You must be Mr. & Mrs. Dreyar!"

Lucy watched as Laxus's jaw clinched and they both secretly cursed Mira in their heads. Neither argued with the woman, because Lucy just wanted to take a bath. Laxus took the key from the woman as she added, "Enjoy your stay and if you need anything, please let me know!"

Lucy shook her head at the heart shaped key with a rose key chain. She finally looked around at the place and saw delicate Victorian furniture everywhere and deep stained wood floors; however, the wallpaper was hideous with gaudy red roses etched everywhere. Then she let out a laugh when she saw Laxus stop for a second to look at one of the large old-looking photos on the wall. Instead of a human in the photo it was a cat with a bowler hat and a monocle in his eye. Leave it to Mira to find the most bizarre bed and breakfast ever.

When they got in the room, it was larger than Lucy would have first guessed. But the blaring thing about the room was obviously that Mira had put in a special request for it. The room was lit with tea-light candles, vases filled with roses, chocolate covered strawberries, and a bottle of champagne chilling. The room had a large king sized bed, a heart shaped love seat, a table with chairs, a lacrima tv, and large windows that looked out towards the ocean. Normally it would be a lovely sight, but it looked rather terrifying at the moment with the wind howling and the gigantic waves tossing around.

Laxus closed the curtain when a large streak of lightning darted across the sky. Lucy started to remove her rain coat and hung it up on the coat rack when Laxus suggested, "How about you take a bath and warm up while I go find us some dinner?"

"Ok," Lucy replied in a slight raspy voice from her throat bothering her.

"Take it easy, ok?" Laxus said with worry before he left the room.

Lucy grabbed her things from her bag and slowly made her way to the bathroom. She smiled when she saw a beautiful copper clawfoot tub, but sighed when she saw that it was clearly meant to have two people in it.

"Goddamn you Mira," Lucy muttered as she tried to peel off her wet clothes.

She looked around then opened a closet that was in the bathroom and sighed in relief when she saw a portable drying rack. Luckily the bathroom was large enough that she could put it in the corner and out of the way while she hung up her wet clothes and undergarments. She snorted to herself as she hung up her gray lace panties and bra. Normally she'd feel self-conscious that Laxus might see it, but frankly she was too tired to care—plus it wasn't anything he hadn't seen before. He's probably seen every color of women's panties in existence with his sexual past.

Lucy began to run the water and already eased herself into the tub and sighed in relief as the warm waters began to soothe her body. As Lucy laid there and let her body warm up, she couldn't help but bite her lip as a few tears leaked out of her eyes. As much as she liked both guys, she hated this feeling that she had the potential to break one of their hearts. But then she thought that maybe she was giving herself too much credit. Both Laxus and Orga had been with multiple women. Maybe the best thing for everyone would be to run away and join a convent. Deep down she was scared. After all, she could still be rejected by either men at any time. They could decide to move on. Life was just very complicated right now.

* * *

After Lucy had finished bathing, she was already feeling a little bit better as she towel dried her hair and put on a boyfriend cut pair of sweatpants and a soft gray t-shirt. Comfort was key right now as she tied up her hair in a messy bun.

When she walked out of the bathroom, Laxus had just returned with tons of bags before he sat them down on the coffee table and asked, "Feeling better?"

"A little. I still feel pretty tired though," Lucy admitted then asked, "What's all this?"

"Well I didn't know what would help so I got a little of everything. But there is hot and sour soup in there that is warm," Laxus answered before he took off his wet boots and put them next to Lucy's on a drying mat by the door. "I'm going to hop in the shower too before I eat, but help yourself."

Lucy smiled and thanked him before he disappeared into the bathroom. She almost didn't know where to begin with all the bags, but decided to search for the soup. She laughed because Laxus had bought four containers of it. She grabbed one, some sweet and sour chicken, hot tea, and water. Laxus had really gone all out.

She carried her stuff over to the table and moaned when the hot soup hit the back of her sore throat. It felt so good. It wasn't long until Laxus had finished showering that he came out in athletic shorts that were low on his hips and a tight purple t-shirt. He grabbed some food for himself then came and sat next to her.

"So what did the mayor say about the mission?" Lucy asked as she sipped on her tea.

"Well apparently since the storms started, the howling has temporarily ceased and the caves are hard to get to because the waters have risen so high that the entrance is temporarily blocked. It's supposed to storm all day tomorrow too, so I am going to help the town with fixing damages done by the water," Laxus informed Lucy as he poured some beef and broccoli onto his rice.

"What can I do?" Lucy asked wanting to be helpful.

Laxus arched his eyebrow then asked hesitantly, "Do you want my honest opinion?"

"Well yeah!" Lucy replied as she finished off her soup.

"You should stay here and rest. I'm a Dragon Slayer so I don't get sick as easy. You are on the verge of getting pretty sick after being in the rain almost all damn day. You've been pushing yourself for over a month and half ever since you went to Samui Yama. I think it would be wise if you stayed here and recovered so when these howls return you will be back at 100%. If you help tomorrow, you could strain your body more and get sicker. You train every day for hours. I know you are getting stronger, but you have to allow your body to rest too," Laxus finally finished saying.

Lucy thought carefully about what Laxus had said. He didn't sound rude or condescending. Instead he sounded caring and was giving her friendly advice. But then she looked at him and said, "But I feel bad."

"What for?" Laxus asked curiously.

"I don't know. I just always feel guilty when I get sick," Lucy admitted.

Laxus looked at her for a moment before he replied, "You do see how that's silly right? Everyone gets sick."

"Not Slayers apparently," Lucy grumbled with a roll of her eyes.

"I didn't say that. We get sick too, it just takes a lot more or at least a lot more exposure. Plus it'd be pretty lame if the Lightning Dragon Slayer got sick from standing in the rain," Laxus teased with a shake of his head.

Lucy couldn't help but giggle at the truth of his observation. She probably was being silly then Laxus asked her, "Will you please rest tomorrow? Apparently breakfast will be served to us tomorrow morning whenever we call for it. I'll go help the townspeople and I'll come back with lunch. Then I'll bring dinner again in the evening when I'm done."

"Ok," Lucy grumbled at his logic.

"Man you really hate people helping you don't you?" Laxus chuckled.

"I guess I never really thought of it that way. After my Mama died, my Father was pretty distant and if I ever asked him for help with something he would tell me that he was too busy. I guess I felt like a burden to him a little. Even though we did have servants, they also had to deal with my Father's temper so I never wanted to bother them. So I just picked up on the habit of taking care of myself so as not to trouble anyone. It's why I hated the Grand Magic Games so much, because that's all I felt like to Fairy Tail…just a giant burden," Lucy admitted—even shocking herself in the process with how open she was to Laxus. However, she remembered when Orga started to train her on the mountain and he would add extra miles to run if she argued. She supposed she was pretty stubborn.

Laxus remained quiet for a minute as he carefully chose his words. He felt like shit after hearing all that and looked over at Lucy who was staring down at her empty container of soup. He cleared his throat before he said, "No one in our guild has ever viewed you that way, besides me back when I was even more of an asshole then I am now."

He watched as Lucy faintly smiled at the statement before he continued, "The Games were a shit show to begin with. Anyone who knew anything about magic knew you were cheated out of a win, so you technically should have given Team A their first points. Ignore the people's opinions who thought you just sucked for no apparent reason."

"That's a little easier said than done," Lucy sighed.

"I know, but that's part of my point everyone in the guild and the others saw your strength and care about you. Look at your own team, they go berserk when you aren't around and not because they think you are a burden, but because they miss you. You are the reason the strongest team in Fiore exists," Laxus declared as his blue eyes looked sincerely into Lucy's before he added, "You just saved Fiore, and it sucks that people can't know that, but the people who care know and are in your debt. Plus, I don't think any of those little girls that you rescued over a week ago would see you as anything less than their hero."

Suddenly Lucy got up and jumped into Laxus's lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. Tears were falling down her eyes when Laxus wrapped his muscular arms around her and held her close.

"You have no idea how much it means to hear you say that," Lucy whispered to him.

"Well you have no idea how glad I am that I can say it to you," Laxus replied.

Lucy felt like her heart had stopped when Laxus's blue eyes looked at her with so much affection. She let her hands fall down onto his muscular chest as her eyes darted to his mouth, but then she pressed a chaste kiss on his cheek.

He smiled at her and teased, "Are you trying to get me sick now too?"

"No! Baka!" Lucy laughed as she got up.

But then Laxus grabbed her hand and pulled her back to him. Lucy audibly gulped when he said in a lowered tone that sent goosebumps down her body, "I told you, it takes a lot of exposure for me to get sick."

Lucy's face heated up from being flustered and Laxus just chuckled before he finished his food. Both Orga and Laxus were sexy but they could be infuriating as hell, because they both knew how to push her buttons. How was she supposed to think straight if all they did was fluster her?!

Lucy began to clean up her empty containers and blow out all of the candles when she asked, "So do you want to watch a movie or something? I'm so tired."

"Yeah that sounds good. Today was pretty brutal," Laxus yawned in agreement while he put away his things then put the leftovers in the mini-fridge that was in the room.

Lucy couldn't help but jump a little when a large boom of thunder echoed outside and shook the windows. Lucy crawled under the covers in an attempt to feel safer and then realized that there was only one bed and Laxus sure as hell couldn't' sleep on that love seat.

Lucy looked at him as he finished putting away his things and offered, "Laxus, you can share the bed. You can't fit on that loveseat. Or I can sleep on the loveseat."

"Thanks, I saw an extra blanket so I'll sleep on top of the covers and no you aren't sleeping on that hideous loveseat," he replied as he grabbed the extra blanket out of the spare closet.

Lucy wasn't sure why, but that made her feel more at ease. She almost felt like she was cheating on Orga if Laxus were to sleep under the covers with her. Sure he held in the tent last night but that was on the ground. She knew her logic was actually illogical, but she just didn't want to feel rushed.

Then she handed him the remote and said, "You can pick the movie since you were such a great guy last night."

"Yeah…real great. Telling you about my lecherous past," Laxus groaned as he turned on the tv.

Lucy started laughing again which made her start coughing from her agitated throat. Laxus just shook his hand as he handed her a bottle of water. Lucy thanked him then muttered under her breath in amusement, "Anal beads."

"You are going to remind me of that until the day I die aren't you?" Laxus shook his head in a mixture of embarrassment and happiness.

Lucy looked at him and winked before she replied, "Definitely."


	40. Chapter 40

" **There's a time and place for everything, and I believe it's called 'fan fiction'."** **―**   **Joss Whedon**

* * *

Lucy opened her eyes, but could still hear the rain pouring down outside. When she looked over she saw that Laxus was already gone, but had left her a note.

_Blondie:_

_The owner said she would bring your breakfast up whenever you woke up. I'm going to head out already and didn't want to want to wake you._

_See you at lunch and take it easy,_

_Laxus_

Lucy smiled at the letter then saw that it was 9 a.m. She had slept for almost twelve hours. Her body still felt a little sore, but not nearly as bad as yesterday. Looks like Laxus had been right.

However, Lucy started to feel uneasy. She hadn't talked to Orga in over a day. They talked every night and they didn't talk last night. It wasn't necessarily the fact that she hadn't talked to him that worried her, but more how their last conversation went. She had a bad feeling about it.

Lucy did a full body stretch in the bed and then went to her bag to pull out the communication lacrima. She sent her magic through it and waited. And waited. And waited. And waited.

Nothing.

"Orga, pick up..." Lucy pleaded.

Nothing.

Lucy sat the lacrima down and then told herself that he was probably on a mission and couldn't pick up. The thought made her feel a little better, but not entirely. She supposed she would have to try again later.

Instead of letting herself dwell on Orga not answering, she decided to call up for her breakfast. It only took a few minutes for the lady she had met last night to bring up a delicious looking tray that had eggs, sausage, fresh fruit, toast, hot tea, and orange juice on it.

"Thank you," Lucy said to the owner as the woman sat the tray down on the coffee table.

"Of course sweetie! Your husband said you weren't feeling well. This weather is a darn shame because it is normally so beautiful here," the owner replied before she added, "I suppose you two will just have to come back again when it's not the rainy season."

Lucy smiled faintly at the woman as the owner excused herself. She wanted to say,  _"Laxus is not my husband! I like two men like a bad girl! I'm a bad girl that doesn't know what she's doing!"_

Instead she just sighed and grabbed ahold of the lightning lacrima that Orga had given her that was around her neck and ate her breakfast, but continued to glance at the communication lacrima in hopes that it would light up.

* * *

It was nearing noon when Lucy opened the curtains to look outside. She was already feeling better, but it looked like the weather had not let up at all. She hoped that Laxus was ok out there.

Suddenly the door opened and in walked the water covered Dragon Slayer. "Hey Blondie, how are you feeling?"

"Better, thanks," Lucy said with a faint smile.

Laxus handed her a bag and said, "I hope you like chicken noodle soup."

"I love it! It's actually my favorite!" Lucy beamed at him.

Together they took a seat at the table, where Laxus pulled out a large sandwich and chips for himself. Lucy smiled because her soup smelled so good and it was nice just sitting there with Laxus.

"So what have you been helping with?" Lucy asked as she dug into her soup.

"Mostly helping people put tarps over their roofs so that the rain stops leaking through until they get it fixed. What about you?" Laxus replied.

"Crux brought me some books after breakfast. I've mostly just been lying in bed reading," Lucy stated with a smile.

"Well I'm glad to see that you are listening for once instead of being your usual stubborn self," Laxus teased.

"Like you are one to talk! I'm sure in the dictionary your name is right next to the word stubborn," Lucy said with a roll of her eyes.

"Fine. Our names can be in there together, Mrs. Dreyar," Laxus smirked.

Lucy choked on her soup which made Laxus crack up and he handed her more napkins to clean up the mess that she had now made. He looked at her with his sexy, smug grin and said, "Well you like teasing me about the beads, so I guess I'll have to get you back somehow. It's cute at how easily flustered you get, so this will be fun."

Lucy's face was bright red as Laxus continued to laugh. "Baka," she muttered under her breath-knowing full well that he could still hear her.

She looked out the window at the ocean and asked, "Even if it stops raining tomorrow, would we be able to reach the caves?"

Laxus looked out the window too and replied, "I'm not sure. Most likely we won't be able to in the morning. The howls are only at night I think and even if the waters go down by tomorrow night, it might not be wise to go to a cave for the first time at night. We will just have to play it by ear."

Lucy nodded, because Laxus's reasons were sound. "So if I'm feeling better tomorrow and the rain lets up what should we do?" Lucy asked before she ate more of her soup.

"There are a lot of cool little shops around and quite a good handful of family owned restaurants. I'm sure we will find something to do," Laxus replied as he finished his sandwich.

Lucy's throat hardly hurt anymore so she asked, "How late do you think you'll be? You can get us whatever for dinner, because my throat doesn't hurt as bad."

"I should be back fairly early. Most of the people here are older and won't work late. Besides I already got most of the work done," Laxus stated with a smile.

Lucy smiled back and thought that it was nice that they could finally talk without it feeling awkward as hell. Who would have guessed wood-make anal beads could solve awkward situations.

"Well I better get back out there, because the sooner I do then the sooner I can come back," Laxus said, breaking Lucy's concentration.

"Ok, be careful though," Lucy replied before she added, "And Laxus, thanks for taking care of me."

The blonde Slayer just gave her a slight smile before he patted her head and left. Lucy sighed as she threw away her empty containers before she stared out the window at the lightning in the distance. Then Lucy looked at her communication lacrima again. It had been several hours since she had tried Orga last, maybe he could talk now. So she reached over and tried calling him again.

Nothing.

Lucy tried not to cry. She didn't know why she felt like crying, but she did as she sat down on the bed. Suddenly there was a flash of light that filled her room and Andromeda stood before her.

"Andromeda! You can push your own gate open?!" Lucy asked in shock.

The beautiful spirit smiled at her gently and answered, "Of course, I am one of the most powerful spirits even though I wish I wasn't. Plus, I could feel your distress and wanted to know if you wanted to talk about it."

Lucy started to cry and Andromeda sat next to her and held her. Lucy began to vent, "I feel so confused and almost angry."

Andromeda didn't interrupt when Lucy continued, "I'm physically attracted to both men. Yes I had a lot of uninterrupted time with Orga, but if we wouldn't have had that then I wouldn't even know what a great guy he was. He helped me get over a lot of my insecurities about being a Mage. But if I wouldn't have went on the mission then I probably wouldn't have found out that Laxus cares about me too."

Lucy took a deep breath between sobs while Andromeda continued to hold her. "It's nice getting to know Laxus. He's oddly funny in his own awkward way, but I miss Orga and don't know why he isn't answering. What if he hates me?"

With that comment, Andromeda couldn't help but smile when she replied, "I don't know why Orga isn't answering, but it would be wise to give him the benefit of the doubt. He loves you."

"L-love," Lucy murmured, "How can you be sure?"

"I've been alive for a while. It's easy to see when a man truly loves a woman. He's selfless when it comes to you and that is rare," Andromeda said soothingly.

"And Laxus?" Lucy asked.

Andromeda remained silent for a moment before she said, "Laxus and Orga are very different. In some ways they are the same, but in other ways they are the exact opposite. One example is their interactions with you. I have not had the opportunity to watch your interactions much yet; however, he has taken very good care of you on this mission."

"I know he explained why he waited so long to approach me, but it still upsets me," Lucy admitted before she added, "He's been really great on this trip though."

"I think you are having a hard time because you care so much about other people. But both Laxus and Orga know the risks. They will respect your decision, because they are both good men," Andromeda said soothingly.

"I'm just afraid that when I choose, I will lose the other," Lucy said honestly.

"Well obviously the relationship dynamic would change, but it doesn't mean that they wouldn't hate you or not be a friend," Andromeda pointed out.

Lucy continued to cry from stress and Andromeda remained by her side before the spirit said, "Also, if you ever need a male's opinion Lupus is good at advice. He's a very perceptive individual since he is a wolf. I know Loke and you are very close, but let's be honest—the females do all the work in a lion's pride."

Andromeda's joke made Lucy crack up, especially when Loke pushed his gate open and said in a mocked hurt tone, "Andromeda! I'd have to disagree with you very strongly on that!"

"Oh really?" Andromeda teased, "So the male lions hunt their own food?"

"Well no! But I know who Lucy should end up with!" Loke argued.

"Besides yourself?" Andromeda smiled.

"Well I think I'd be the best option over all," Loke admitted as he readjusted his glasses, "But some love stories are too strong for this world and mine and Lucy's would be the greatest of them all. Romeo and Juliet would look like child's play compared to ours! The world isn't ready for it."

Lucy smiled as she and Andromeda shook their head at Loke's antics. The three laughed and Lucy felt so happy watching Loke and Andromeda interact. She was glad that Andromeda was opening up and healing well. Lucy was so happy, because she knew how protective Loke was of other spirits and he had done nothing but make sure that Lupus and Andromeda knew that they were safe, cared for, and loved. They acted a lot like siblings.

After Lucy had been cheered up, Loke went back to the Celestial Realm. Andromeda looked at her and gave her hand a gentle squeeze and whispered, "Trust yourself." Then went back.

Lucy smiled and was grateful for her spirit friends. It was nice being able to talk to them and confess how she was really feeling, because she knew that they would give their honest opinions but also not judge her or pressure her into being with anyone in particular. They were unique because they would be happy with whichever man she chose.

She decided to crawl back under the blankets and read while she waited for Laxus to return.

* * *

**Sabertooth that same day…**

"Have you guys noticed that Orga was acting differently yesterday?" Sting whispered to Yukino and Rogue.

"Frosch thinks so too," Frosch said in agreement with Sting. The young Exceed had noticed something was off, because normally Orga snuck him some candy, but he hadn't yesterday, plus he hadn't even seen him today at it was late in the afternoon.

Yukino looked around for Orga, but didn't see him anywhere and replied, "I haven't noticed anything, why do you ask?"

"Well yesterday I asked him a question and he seemed…agitated," Sting admitted to his friends.

Rogue just sighed and added, "Sting you agitate a lot of people."

"Shut up!" Sting snapped at Rogue who had a slight grin on his face, because he knew he had pushed Sting's buttons.

"Orga usually doesn't get agitated," Yukino said out loud as she thought about what Orga could possibly be agitated about.

Sting pointed at Yukino and looked at Rogue and said, "See! Yukino understands!"

"Well I haven't seen him today, so I can't give my opinion," Rogue stated.

Then the mages heard a loud boom of thunder outside. It had been storming pretty badly in their area, but now Yukino and Rogue could see for themselves if Orga was really upset as the Lightning Slayer came into the guild. Their eyes widened in surprise that Sting seemed to have been right when it looked like Orga hadn't slept in two days and he had a deep scowl on his face.

None of them said anything as Orga walked over to their job board. Many of their guild mates greeted the mage, but it was as though he couldn't hear them. Then Sting whispered, "See! There is something wrong with him!"

Rogue narrowed his eyes and watched as Eve who had been playing with Lector ran up and yelled, "Uncle Orga!"

Eve was the first person that Orga had acknowledged as he opened his arms up and the girl jumped into them. She was so small compared to him that she could sit on his shoulders and he said, "Hey Eve, how are you doing today?"

"Good! Uncle Sting made me a laser gun and Lector and I have been trying it out," Eve stated happily.

Orga gave the little girl a faint smile before she asked, "Uncle Orga, have you spoken with Aunt Lucy at all? I was hoping she could come visit us so that I can show her my new room and toys."

"Sorry kiddo, I haven't talked to her in a few days," Orga replied sadly.

Sting, Rogue, and Yukino all looked at each other in a sad realization. That is why their normally gentle giant of a friend was in a down mood. They watched as Eve gently patted Orga's head and asked, "Did you and Aunt Lucy get in a fight?"

Orga smiled faintly and replied, "No, she's just spending time with another friend right now, so I don't want to interfere."

The three mages eavesdropping knew who this "friend" most likely was. They could see how much Orga cared for Lucy and he was so in love with her that he was clearly sacrificing his own feelings so that Lucy would be happy. It hurt them to see him so sad.

Then Eve added to Orga, "Well Aunt Lucy probably has a lot of friends, because she is a nice person."

Orga just nodded his head at the girl's statement before Eve said bluntly, "I think the next time you see Aunt Lucy though you should ask her to marry you."

Sting accidently choked on his water at Eve's boldness and Yukino tried to shush him so that Orga wouldn't know that they were eavesdropping. They listened carefully as Orga asked Eve, "Why do you say that?"

"Because Aunt Lucy would make a good mom. I want you to marry her so that Aunt Lucy can live here with all of us. Plus, I think Aunt Lucy really loves you. She looks at you the way my moms look at each other," Eve stated with certainty as she crossed her arms.

When Orga didn't say anything, Eve asked, "Do you want to marry Aunt Lucy?"

Yukino, Rogue, and Sting all held their breath and waited for Orga's response. There was a few moments of silence before Orga answered, "Yeah, I suppose I do. Someday."

Sting began to choke on the food he was eating while Yukino silently fangirl squeed in her seat. Rogue just smiled softly as a wide grin spread across Eve's face. The green haired girl asked him, "Then why don't you tell her that?"

"Because Aunt Lucy needs time," Orga replied.

Yukino thought it was adorable at how honest Orga was being with Eve. The young girl was very perceptive and probably got the Lightning Mage to talk about things he would probably not share with anyone else.

"What if someone else falls in love with Aunt Lucy though?" Eve asked sadly.

"Then I'll wish her happiness," Orga replied quietly.

They all held their breath when Eve smacked Orga upside his head and said, "Baka. Aunt Lucy has the right to know that you want to marry her. My moms said you are the strongest mage here, you have to show Aunt Lucy you want to marry her."

Orga didn't say anything for a few minutes, but then finally looked at the girl and said, "I'll think about it."

Eve nodded her head and stated firmly, "Good."

Orga just smiled at Eve then grabbed a mission on the board. The girl hugged him around his neck before he helped her back down and watched as she ran over to talk to her moms.

"Daaaaamn," Sting whispered to Rogue and then his eyes widened when he saw that Yukino had already gone over to stand by Orga.

The Celestial Mage greeted their friend and said, "Hey Orga."

Orga was about to leave, but replied, "Hey Yukino."

"So, is Lucy-san on a mission with Laxus-san?" Yukino asked with concern.

"Yeah," Orga sighed out.

Yukino nodded her head in understanding and then asked, "Have you talked to her though, while she has been on the mission?"

Silence fell between the two when Orga admitted, "She tried calling this morning, but if she is going to make a decision then she needs the time to figure things out."

"Lucy-san is calling you because she wants to talk to you, Baka!" Yukino stated in a slightly aggravated tone that made both Rogue and Sting hold their breath. Yukino didn't get agitated or angry often, but when she did everyone hid in fear.

"I know," Orga replied quietly.

"What if she thinks you are ignoring her?! Or are mad at her?!" Yukino argued angrily, "Sometimes you men can be so stupid!"

Orga didn't say anything for a minute, so Yukino ended it with, "If you love her then you better fight for her, Orga Nanagear!"

The worked up Celestial Mage turned to leave and Rogue decided that he better follow, but then Yukino said in huff, "Don't follow me!"

"What did I do?" Rogue asked in a mixture of fear and shock.

"You have a dick, that's what!" Yukino stated as she went on a walk to cool off from the male idiocy that was suffocating the room.

Orga decided to leave with his mission before anyone else gave him the third degree about Lucy. He felt like an idiot for not answering when she had tried to call. He wanted her to be happy, but at the same time he knew that if she chose Laxus…then he would be heartbroken.


	41. Chapter 41

"WAKE UP, LAXUS!" Lucy cheered excitedly because it was the first day where there wasn't a torrential down pour of rain. It was still cloudy and the sun was not shining, but Lucy was going to get outside today and see what the world had to offer. She loved the rain, but she really wanted to get this mission done because she wanted to see what keys she would get as a reward.

The Lightning Dragon Slayer groaned and looked at the clock. It was barely after 8:30 a.m. He had gotten back to their room last night a little before 6 p.m. He had brought them pizza and was happy that Lucy seemed to have a lot more energy. They spent the evening talking and watching movies and playing cards on the bed. He had had a lot of fun. Even though he had lightning reflexes because of his magic, he had lost quite a few times at Speed to Lucy. She was damn near terrifying during the game and practically threw him off of the bed with her strength when they had tied. He understood why Natsu and Gray were equally terrified of Lucy as they were Erza.

"I'm up," he replied as he rolled over and saw that Lucy was already calling the bed and breakfast owner to say that they would be coming down to eat their breakfast soon.

He couldn't help but smile at Lucy's energy as she darted back to the window and asked, "Do you think we can make it to the cave today? Do you know what time it stopped raining?"

"It stopped a little before midnight. When we go out, we can walk down to the coast and take a look," Laxus yawned as he got up to get ready.

It didn't take long for Laxus to get ready, mostly because Lucy was damn near bouncing off the walls after being cooped up all day yesterday. She was wearing leggings with a cute plaid tunic top, she grabbed her new pair of rain boots that Virgo had brought her and slipped them on after she put on a gray pair of boot socks.

"You ready to go, Blondie?" Laxus asked as Lucy waited eagerly on the loveseat.

"Yep!" she yelled as she jumped up and nearly ran out the door, dragging Laxus along with her.

* * *

"Aren't you two adorable!" the owner chirped happily as she placed down the fresh blueberry muffins at a small table, just for the two of them. They were in a small dining room area with the old Victorian furniture, but the room had an excellent view of the sea.

Lucy smiled nervously, because they had yet to tell the woman that they were not actually married. For all Lucy knew, if the woman found out then she might throw them out of her Bed and Breakfast for being improper or something. Once again, Lucy was impressed by the array of foods for their breakfast and at least today she could savor every flavor.

"So what should we do first?" Lucy asked Laxus as she finished her muffin.

"Let's try and see the cave first so we can see how high the water is, because then we can get a good guess at when to go back. After that we can do whatever," Laxus replied.

Lucy was ready to get out and explore the quaint little town. She grabbed Laxus's hand and bolted towards the door once they were finished, after she had thanked the owner. Once outside she let go of his hand and smiled, because she loved the smell of rain and was happy that Laxus seemed a lot more relaxed around her now. The pine trees were beautiful and tall here and Lucy loved the look of the rocky coast.

Laxus led the way so that he could point out the cave and he couldn't help but smile a little as Lucy hummed happily to herself. This mission was unique and oddly calming in a way. He had enjoyed taking care of Lucy yesterday and spending some uninterrupted one on one time with her. However, he noticed that Lucy didn't bring up Orga at all yesterday, nor did she talk to the Sabertooth Mage that night. He wasn't sure what was up and he didn't want to ask. Did they get into a fight? Was Orga not interested in Lucy anymore? Laxus wasn't sure but he noticed that Lucy still wore the lacrima around her neck so she must still have feelings for him, but what about Orga?

"Is that it?" Lucy asked, breaking Laxus's concentration.

"Yeah," Laxus replied.

The water was fairly high and Lucy could see that normally there was a path that led to the caves; however, the water was covering it still and the wind still tossed the waves around quite a bit. She looked up at Laxus and asked, "How long do you think it will be before we can get to it?"

"Honestly, we might have to wait until tomorrow morning. The water will lower today and it isn't supposed to rain again, but it will be too dark by the time we could get in safely. However, we might finally hear this howling for ourselves tonight," Laxus stated.

Lucy shivered because she wasn't sure that she wanted to hear howling, but agreed to the plan. Then after the decision was made, Laxus showed Lucy the little shops in the town. Lucy smiled because the town seemed to be a little more active than the first day they arrived. Laxus was right and a lot of the inhabitants were older couples, which is funny since their mayor was so young. However, Laxus told her that Albion was a tourist attraction and people liked to come to the beach here a lot because it was different than Akane. However, a lot of people camped which is why there were really no places to stay.

They found a magical shop, because Lucy wanted to check to see if they had any keys. She didn't have her hopes up because she knew that she was already getting two keys and the chances of finding another was very rare.

Lucy walked up to the old man behind the desk who was putting price tags on some small trinkets when Lucy greeted him, "Hello, I was wondering if you had any Celestial Spirit Keys for sale by any chance?"

The old man looked up slightly startled because he didn't hear the two Fairy Tail mages come in, then he answered happily, "Oh you must be the young couple that took the mission for us."

Lucy just smiled at the elderly man and she looked over at Laxus who looked ridiculous in the shop because he was so large that he had trouble not knocking into things. Then the elderly man added, "I do not have any keys to sell; however, if you are a Celestial Mage then I might have something else that will interest you that I have never been able to sell."

"Oh, what's that?" Lucy asked because she was very curious now.

He held up his finger before he went to the back. While Lucy and Laxus were waiting, Lucy looked over at Laxus again who had his usual grumpy looking face. Lucy cleared her throat and said, "I saw a woodwork shop on the way over here."

"Yeah, I saw that too," Laxus stated, not really sure what Lucy was getting at.

Then she got a huge smirk on her face before she said, "We could always swing by and see if they have any beads."

Laxus's mouth fell open, but then before he could get her back the old man came back out with a tiny silver box. Lucy just winked at Laxus then turned back to the shop keeper who told them, "This is a special bracelet that works like a magnet." He started to hold it up in the light to show Lucy before he added, "A weakness of any Celestial Mage is often times they are powerless if their keys are stolen from them."

Lucy nodded in understanding; in the past she had been quite defenseless whenever her keys were taken from her, but now she could cast some spells and fight hand to hand so she wasn't entirely defenseless. But the fear of having her keys taken from her again did bother her a lot. Especially if she were to run into someone like Minerva again.

The old man continued, "The way this bracelet works is that if a Celestial Mage's keys are taken then all the mage has to do is fill the bracelet with their magic and the keys are returned to them once more—making it nearly impossible to have your keys stolen."

"Can I try it?" Lucy asked the man.

He nodded eagerly and helped put the bracelet on Lucy. Then Lucy turned to Laxus and said, take my keys. Laxus removed the pouch that contained Lucy's keys off of her hip and went to stand on the other end of the store.

The shop keeper said, "Now, use your magic to fill the bracelet."

Lucy did as he instructed and watched as the bracelet began to glow a bright golden color…then POP, the keys were back in her hands. She looked over at Laxus who was surprised that they had disappeared from his hands. Lucy looked over at her guild mate and said, "It almost reminds me of Minerva's magic."

"Yeah it does," Laxus added in surprise then looked at the pleased shop keeper and said, "I'll buy it."

"W-what!?" Lucy tried to argue, "You don't have to do that!"

"Nonsense," Laxus smirked at her in a way that made her audibly gulped. He walked over to her and put his arm around her waist before he leaned down in front of her face and said in a husky tone, "It's my job as your husband to make sure that ALL of your needs are met."

Lucy's face turned bright red and she knew that this was Laxus's way at getting back at her for the anal beads joke. Then before she could say anything, Laxus paid the shop keeper who was beyond thrilled and told them to come back any time.

After they had walked out of the shop, Lucy muttered to an amused Laxus, "Y-you…baka."

"Oh so you can dish it but you can't take it Blondie?" Laxus replied in a confident tone.

Lucy just rolled her eyes and then said sincerely, "But seriously Laxus, you didn't have to buy this for me and it wasn't cheap."

"I know I didn't have to, but I wanted to. Consider this an apology gift for how stupid I acted on our last mission. Plus, you have to have a present from me since you have one from Orga," Laxus added in a monotone voice then watched as Lucy's eyes filled with sadness as she looked down at the ground.

He didn't know, but something must have happened between the two. He didn't want to pry and knew that if Lucy wanted to talk to him about it then she would. Instead he grabbed her hand and said, "Come on, let's go look at another shop. Preferably not the wood one though."

The comment made Lucy smile as she and Laxus spent the day together enjoying the sites and each other's company.

* * *

Lucy had had a blast spending the day with Laxus. It was night time and Laxus was taking a shower while Lucy stared out the window at the night sky. The clouds were starting to break up a little, but she could still see lightning in the distance and hoped that it wouldn't rain again.

Laxus had made the day really enjoyable and helped her get her mind off of her more depressing thoughts, like why she hadn't heard from Orga. She hadn't tried calling him again and she was sad and worried when he didn't call her back. She decided that she would just wait until she got back to Magnolia to find out what was going on. She hoped that if something bad had happened that Yukino would have called her, but she didn't know. Either way, she was upset that she didn't know what was going on.

Lucy heard the shower water turn off, then just as there was a brief silence a howl pierced the night sky. Lucy's teeth chattered at the sound and goosebumps covered her body as she whispered, "Creeeeeepy."

Laxus came out of the bathroom with a scowl on his face and said, "Well that is going to get annoying really fast."

Lucy nodded her head and replied, "The owner here said that everyone has gotten earplugs to drown it out, but sleeping with earplugs every night would get pretty annoying."

Laxus grabbed his earphones, because there was no way in hell he was going to get any sleep with that howling. Lucy summoned out Aries so that she could get little cotton buds to put in her ears for the night so that she could get some sleep too; however, Lupus pushed his gate open much to Lucy's surprise after Aries had went back.

"Hey Lupus," Lucy greeted her friend with a smile.

Lupus and Laxus looked at each other and Laxus just nodded a 'hey', because that's what guys do. Then Lupus informed Lucy, "I recognize the howl outside."

Lucy's eyes widened in surprise when Lupus informed her, "It is not a monster, per say. It is Canes Venatici."

"The Hunting Dogs!" Lucy yelled in excitement.

Laxus was thoroughly confused but listened when Lupus nodded his head and said, "Yes, Canes Venatici were actually owned by our previous owner as well. Obviously we have no idea what happened to all of the keys that he had once possessed, but Canes Venatici were loyal companions that were mistreated like us."

Lucy's face saddened but then she promised Lupus, "We will get them and help them. Do you know why they would be howling like this though?"

Lupus shook his head and replied, "Sorry, I do not."

Lucy nodded in understanding before she thanked Lupus for informing her and asked if he would help them tomorrow when she and Laxus went to the cave. Lupus agreed and believed that Andromeda would likely want to attend as well, because she had been close with the Hunting Dogs. Then Lupus returned to the Celestial Realm.

Lucy was once again bouncing off the walls in excitement when she smiled at Laxus and said, "Well at least now we know what we are searching for!"

"True," Laxus yawned before he said, "Now you'll walk away with three new keys from this mission."

Lucy nodded her head and was grinning like an idiot when she flopped onto the bed. She was so excited and couldn't wait for tomorrow. The she rolled over to look at Laxus and said, "Thanks for bringing me on this mission and for being a great guy about everything."

Laxus gave her a faint smile and replied, "Well I'd be a pretty shitty husband if I didn't make sure that you were happy."

Lucy's face heated up at the comment and then she forgot to breathe when Laxus's stormy grey eyes looked at her and he said, "On the serious side though, I think you are incredible and I'll do whatever I can to make you happy."

Lucy didn't know what to say, but she knew her body was probably doing enough talking for her. Her heart was about to pound out of her chest and she knew that she was close to a fever with how hot it felt in the room. She rolled onto her back to stare up at the ceiling when she heard Canes Venatici howl again. She looked back over at Laxus who now had his eyes closed, but a faint smirk was on his lips. She narrowed her eyes at the cocky bastard, because he was clearly amused because of how flustered she got.

Between the Hunting Dogs howling and Laxus in the room with her, there was no way in hell she was going to be getting any sleep tonight.


	42. Chapter 42

Lucy had a long night. The ear plugs that Aries had made her kept falling out any time she'd roll over. Then when she would roll over, she would see Laxus asleep. She appreciated how he had opened up to her during their trip, but in a way…now she was more confused than ever. Not talking to Orga for days and now Laxus being more open. She didn't know what to do. It was like the men had flip-flopped overnight.

It was nearing dawn when Lucy and Laxus headed out towards the cave. They hoped that it wouldn't take very long, now that they knew what the howling was. Lucy was beyond excited though when she summoned out Lupus and Andromeda. She was so happy that she would get to reunite old friends and she hoped that Canes Venatici would be just as pleased.

When they approached the rocky path that led towards the cave, Lucy couldn't help but notice the awkwardness that was suddenly happening. Lupus and Andromeda had stayed fairly quiet since Lucy summoned them out, which wasn't unusual because both of them tended to be observers more than talkers. Besides, Lucy knew that Andromeda didn't like opening up around people. However, the thing that Lucy noticed the most was how serious Laxus became after Lucy had summoned her friends out. He went back to his normal stoic self and Lucy couldn't understand what had happened.

Andromeda and Lupus walked ahead with a flashlight that Lucy had given to Lupus, while Laxus and Lucy lagged behind a little. Lucy looked over at Laxus and asked, "Is everything ok?"

Laxus looked confused and replied, "Yeah, why wouldn't it be?"

"Well…it's just that you seem…put out," Lucy stated, not really knowing how to describe what she was really feeling.

"I'm fine," Laxus stated flatly, "I didn't know I seemed put out."

Lucy didn't seem convinced but nodded her head and dropped the subject as they followed after Lupus and Andromeda. The howling had lessened the closer that it got to morning, but Lucy shook where she stood when a long howl echoed off of the cave's walls. Then Lupus and Laxus both turned to go down one of the cave's pathways. Lucy didn't question it, because she figured that they would be able to hear where the howls were coming from the best.

Lucy felt like they were going lower as the cave grew colder and more slippery from the water that had flooded it the day before. Then not even a second later, Lucy slipped on a wet rock and closed her eyes to wait for the pain of hitting the cave floor.

Then just like before she went on her mission with Orga, Lucy felt strong arms around her and Laxus gave her an amused look and asked, "You all right?"

Lucy just smiled and saw that Lupus was helping Andromeda down the narrow path so that she wouldn't slip. "I'm fine, thanks Laxus," Lucy answered as she kicked the rock off to the side.

"It's no problem," the Lightning Dragon Slayer replied as he reached out his hand to help Lucy down the cave.

* * *

Lucy had no idea how long they had been walking, but then luckily Lupus said, "There it is."

The Wolf Spirit pointed his flashlight over to a large rock that had Canes Venatici's silver key resting on it. The area of the cave they were in now was still a little flooded. Lucy carefully waded through the water and she didn't pick up her feet because the water was so high that it would spill into the top of her boots. Instead, she carefully dragged her feet through the water and grinned wildly when she reached out and grabbed the Hunting Dogs' key.

Lupus and Andromeda smiled at her when Lucy said, "Well hopefully the howling will stop now."

Then Lucy felt something hit the outside of her boot. She looked down, but the water was too dark to see and she asked, "Is it possible that there are umm…things in this water."

"Well it did come from the sea water, so it's very likely," Laxus replied then raised his eyebrow and asked, "Why?"

Lupus shined his flashlight down into the water and Lucy tried not scream when she saw a nest of sea snakes swirling around her. Lucy started to whimper and Laxus said to her, "Just stay calm."

"Mmmmmmmmmmm," was all Lucy could say as she slowly tried to trudge back through the waters; however, Laxus had come out to reach her halfway.

Once she felt Laxus's hand, he asked, "I can carry you, but your boots will be stuck in the water."

"That's fine, just get me out," Lucy whispered out. Why snakes? Why did it have to be snakes in a cave? Couldn't one mission she took ever go smoothly?

Laxus gently grabbed Lucy and flung her over his shoulder, then got them out of the water. He looked at her and asked, "You ok?"

"I just want to get out of here," Lucy whimpered when she heard a snake hiss in the water.

Laxus didn't argue as he gave Lucy a piggyback ride out of the cave followed by Lupus and Andromeda.

* * *

It wasn't long until they made it back out of the cave and onto the shore. Lucy didn't care that she only had her socks on as she hopped off of Laxus's back in excitement so that she could reunite Canes Venatici with Lupus and Andromeda.

Lucy grabbed the new key and said, "I am linked to the path to the world of Celestial Spirits, now! O spirit, answer my call and pass through the gate! Gate of Canum Venaticorum, I open thee!"

There was a bright glow and then the dogs appeared before Lucy and her friends. The dogs looked noble as they sat proudly; their pelts were a soft gray that shimmered slightly when they moved. The dogs blinked in unison before they grinned with doggie smiles and lunged for Lupus and Andromeda.

"Lupus! Andormeda!" the dogs cried out and Lucy could hear their voices in her mind as though they could speak telepathically.

Lucy smiled as Lupus pated their heads, but Andromeda hugged both of them closely. She could hear them excitedly say, "We knew the curse was broken! It's why we started howling at night so that you would find us."

"How did you know the curse was broken?" Lupus asked the two dogs in surprise.

Lucy listened as the dogs said, "Our key was at the bottom of the sea. We could feel that Andromeda's curse was about to sweep through the lands, but then we felt a warm glow wash over us and the tainted magic was no more."

Andromeda smiled at them and said, "Yes, Lupus and Lucy freed me."

The dogs whimpered a little and added, "We are sorry that we could not help you when our master attacked you. We tried to force our gate open, but he kept us at bay."

"That's in the past," Andromeda whispered, "We are safe now."

"How did your key end up in the sea?" Lupus asked changing the subject so that Andromeda wouldn't have to dwell on old memories.

"Our keys were not cursed and we had a few masters since we were all together last; however, our last master had his keys stolen from pirates and eventually we were dropped into the sea," the Hunting Dogs replied, "But that was over a hundred years ago."

Finally the dogs turned their attention to Lucy and said, "Thank you for freeing our friends."

Lucy smiled bashfully and replied, "Well of course, I love Andromeda and Lupus. Besides what kind of Celestial Mage would I be if I let my Celestial friends suffer?"

The two dogs tilted their head in unison and it was Lupus that spoke up, "Lucy is a dear friend and she is unlike any other Celestial Mage. She is good."

"She's family," Andromeda said with a smile towards Lucy.

Lucy blushed a little from all the praise then the Hunting Dogs asked, "Will you be our Master too?"

"She won't let you call her Master," Lupus said with a smile.

The dogs tilted their head the other way as Lucy said, "I'd love for you to join us! But it's ok you can just call me Lucy. I just don't want to be called Master, because I don't see my Celestial friends as servants or objects. Andromeda is right, you are family."

The sweet dogs lunged towards Lucy and happily wagged their tails and Lucy couldn't help but hug them as she pat their heads. She had been thinking about getting a dog ever since Charles helped her with finding the missing girls; however, Canes Venatici were so much more. They would now have an unbreakable bond that Lucy would cherish for the rest of her life.

The three made a contract with each other while Lupus, Andromeda, and Laxus watched the interaction. Canes Venatici informed Lucy that they had heightened senses; hearing, smelling, and seeing. The informed her that as long as they had a scent, they would be able to track anyone anywhere on Earthland.

The two dogs looked behind Lucy and saw Laxus standing there. They turned to look back at Lucy and said, "Also, only you can hear us and the other Celestial Sprits—unless we chose to let another mortal hear us."

Lucy looked back at Laxus who looked like he had missed a lot, then Lucy asked, "So Laxus hasn't heard anything that you have said this whole time?"

"Correct," the dogs barked in unison.

Lucy figured that Canes Venatici would be excellent during a battle. They seemed to have the heightened senses as a Dragon Slayer and they would be able to tell her information about her opponents without them hearing it. If she were to be in the S-Class Exams soon, then they would be of great help to her.

Lucy looked down because her feet were starting to get cold and said, "Well I guess we better go get our reward so we can meet two more new friends."

Laxus just nodded in understanding while Andromeda and Lupus returned to their world. However, Canes Venatici ran around sniffing everything because it had been so long since they had been summoned out. Lucy just smiled as she and Laxus headed back towards the town and together they watched the new spirits play.

Laxus didn't say anything to Lucy and she noticed how serious he grew again. She looked over at him and said, "Thanks for helping me in the cave."

"No problem, Blondie," Laxus said in a monotone voice.

Lucy pouted a little and asked, "Is there anything you want to talk about? You seem pretty quiet today."

Laxus watched Canes Venatici look at him as though they were studying him and waiting for his answer. Then Laxus asked, changing the subject, as he nodded towards the two dogs, "So you can hear them?"

"Yep!" Lucy replied cheerfully.

The two dogs had stopped playing and ran back over to Lucy. Laxus watched as the dogs drew her attention and she smiled at them and started having from his perspective a one-sided conversation. He was glad that Lucy was happy.

* * *

After Lucy had grabbed another pair of boots, Laxus and Lucy went to speak to the mayor. Canes Venatici bowed their heads before they returned to the Celestial Realm. When they reached the mayor's office, the woman was more than happy to let them in when she said, "Were you guys able to slay the beast that was howling?"

Lucy let out a nervous laugh when she answered, "Well, it wasn't really a beast. It was a Celestial Spirit that was calling out so that we would find them."

The mayor's eyes widened in shock and replied, "Oh my word, if we would have known that then we would have retrieved the key for you. The howls sounded vicious though at times, so we were all too scared and we didn't want our citizens getting hurt."

Lucy just continued to smile and added, "Everything worked out fine in the end."

The mayor nodded then smiled when she said, "Well let me add two new keys to your collection."

The woman went behind her desk and unlocked a small safe. Lucy was annoyed that so many people saw Celestial keys as things; like they should be in a museum or something. But she brushed it off and smiled when the mayor handed her the keys of Aquila, The Eagle, and Lynx. Then the mayor handed Laxus the monetary reward and thanked them once again.

Lucy smiled and hugged the keys close to her chest and decided that she would summon them out in their room, because it was early enough that they could start heading back to Magnolia. Laxus continued to remain silent on their way back to the inn before he said, "I'll let you talk to them while I get our things packed and ready to go."

Lucy was a little taken aback by the sudden bluntness before she asked, "Why are you acting like this?"

"Like what?" Laxus asked in confusion.

"You seemed closed off again," Lucy replied.

Laxus just shrugged and said, "It's nothing."

"It's not nothing," Lucy argued.

Laxus just let out a sigh and said, "Blondie, I'm not in the mood to fight you. Nothing is wrong. End of story."

Lucy's mouth fell open. Like hell there was nothing wrong! Then before she could rip into him, the bed and breakfast owner opened the door and said, "Welcome back you two! You must have solved the problem since you are here so early. Are you planning on checking out today?"

Then before Lucy could answer, Laxus growled out, "Yes."

The owner jumped back in shock as Laxus walked by her. Lucy looked at her and gave the woman an apologetic smile, before the owner added, "Well neither of you ate this morning, so I will pack you some muffins to go."

"Thank you," Lucy replied and realized that Laxus was already up the stairs in their room.

The owner just smiled and said, "I don't know what happened between you two, but try not to take it personally. Sometimes my husband would suddenly get distant too. I think it is just males."

Lucy just nodded, but she didn't like what the woman had to say. Sure people had bad days, but that didn't give them a right to take it out on innocent bystanders. When she got into the room, Laxus already had several bags in his hand and walked back out. Lucy was angry. What the hell had changed so suddenly? She tried not to cry when she held out her keys and summoned Aquila and Lynx.

Lucy's eyes widened in surprise when two handsome men stood before her, and not animals. Aquila had sharp angled facial features with pure white hair and his eyes were as black as night. He was dressed almost like a hunter in leather. Then she looked at Lynx who had a smug expression on his face that reminded Lucy a little too much of Loke. The man had blonde hair but with black tips on the end and his hair seemed to have ears the way Loke's did. He wore dress pants like Loke, but instead of having the rest of the suit on, he had a white shirt that wasn't buttoned up the whole way. He was definitely a ladies man.

Then before Lucy could introduce herself, Loke appeared in the room with her and said, "Nope! Nope! Don't even think about it!"

"Loke?" Lucy whispered out in confusion.

Lynx's smile widened into a full-fledged grin when he said in an exotic voice, "Leo, long time no see."

Loke just shook his head firmly no and said, "Lucy is different, so don't you dare try anything with her."

Aquila just sighed and Lynx replied in a shocked tone, "I have no idea what you are talking about. I would never try anything with a master as sexy as this. Well…not unless she asked me to."

Unfortunately Laxus had walked in to hear that last bit. The three Celestial Spirit men all turned to look at the Dragon Slayer who looked like he wanted to fry each of them. Lucy sighed and knew that this was going to get more complicated, especially when Mira found out that Lucy had two more spirits that were just as handsome as Loke. Like Lucy didn't already have enough men in her life at the moment.

Lucy just smiled at Laxus nervously when he grabbed the last bit of their things and stated gruffly, "I'll be waiting in the vehicle for you."

Before Lucy could thank him, the door shut to the room a little too loudly. Lynx looked at the closed door and asked, "What the hell is that guy's problem?"

"It's nothing," Lucy replied, trying to change the subject, but Loke didn't look convinced by her statement.

Then Loke tried to draw Lucy back into the moment when he said, "Lucy, I don't like this. Lynx, is a player and he sleeps around too much."

Lucy let out a laugh and stated, "Ummm…that's calling the kettle black isn't it? The first time I saw you at the guild Loke, you had girls all over you."

"Loke?" Lynx asked in confusion.

"That's the name I was using when I met Lucy," Loke replied to Lynx.

"So it was true. You were pretending to be a human," Lynx said with a raised brow.

When Loke didn't reply, Lynx just shrugged his shoulders and added, "Either way, seems like things worked out pretty well for you."

Lynx gave Lucy a playful wink and Loke started shaking his head no again and said, "She's mine!"

Lucy rolled her eyes and Aquila finally spoke up and said in a dry tone, "Would you two stop the dick measuring contest already?"

The two feline-esk spirits looked at Aquila in annoyance and Lynx asked, "Why do you always have to be a buzz kill, Quil?"

Lucy just smiled at Aquila and held out her hand and stated, "My name is Lucy Heartfilia."

Aquila faintly smiled and shook her hand and greeted her, "I'm Aquila."

"And obviously, I'm Lynx," Lynx added in as he and Loke continued to eye each other.

Aquila looked at Lucy and said, "Please forgive him, he and Leo have a long history of trying to win the same girl's heart."

Lucy's eyebrows went up at that news then asked, "Would one of those girls happen to be the spirit, Aries?"

"Yes," Aquila answered flatly as Loke tried to shut the Eagle Spirit up as Lynx's eyes lit up in mischief.

"Oh, so our sexy new master also has Aries's key. This will be a lot of fun. Especially since we've never been owned by the same master before," Lynx smirked at Loke.

"You stay away from both of them, you cat thief!" Loke snarled out.

Lucy just shook her head, because her life was definitely getting more and more interesting. Then she said to both Aquila and Lynx, "I'd love for you two join us, but if you do—then my only request is that you not call me Master."

Aquila and Lynx both looked a little shocked when Loke added, "Lucy sees us as friends, not tools."

"Beautiful and kind," Lynx grinned at Lucy.

"What should we call you then?" Aquila asked.

"Just Lucy is fine," Lucy said with her dazzling smile.

"How about, Future Lover?" Lynx teased before he received a swift punch in the gut from Loke.

Aquila and Lucy both just shook their heads at Loke's and Aquila's interactions. Then Aquila agreed to join Lucy's team, soon followed by Lynx.

Lucy learned about her new friends' abilities and she was overwhelmed with the range of versatility she had now. Aquila could transform into an eagle to soar the skies and gather information, plus he was a swift fighter with keen eyesight—even in his human form. Lynx could also turn into his animal version, much to Loke's annoyance when Lynx rubbed against Lucy's legs like a house cat. Plus the feline spirit could fight on par with Loke in his human form. Lucy was overwhelmed with joy as she interacted with her new friends. Their family was getting so big now and it made her heart so happy.

* * *

Finally Lucy wished them all a good day before she ran down the stairs to meet Laxus at the vehicle. The owner thanked them again for staying and handed Lucy a basket of muffins for the road.

When she got into the vehicle, Laxus stated before Lucy could even say anything, "Gramps just called, he said that we needed to head to Crocus instead of going back to Magnolia."

"Really? What for?" Lucy asked in surprise, plus her heart jumped a little because Crocus was so close to the Sabertooth Guild.

"He didn't say. He just said the guild would meet us there tonight at the Honey Bone inn," Laxus answered grimly.

Lucy's mind reeled with the possibilities at why the whole guild was going to Crocus. Then she looked over at Laxus who still looked annoyed about something and she just let out a heavy sigh. Today was going to be a long day.

* * *

It was early in the evening when Laxus and Lucy arrived in Crocus. The trip was terrible and Laxus hardly spoke. Lucy was just angry at this point and didn't know what the hell was stuck up Laxus's ass. She wanted to ask him if he had anal beads shoved up his ass and if that's why he was acting like a big baby, but she kept her mouth shut and sulked in anger.

The two quietly made their way to the inn and Lucy couldn't wait to see her teammates and introduce them to her new Spirits. Lucy realized that she just needed some friend time and maybe their team could go out and do something fun together tonight.

Just as they were approaching the inn, Lucy heard, "AUNT LUCY!"

Lucy blinked and turned around in surprise when she saw Eve smiling and running towards her. Lucy smiled at the girl and opened her arms open as Eve jumped into them.

"Eve, how are you?" Lucy asked and couldn't hide the huge smile on her face at seeing the little girl again.

"Good! Uncle Orga, Frosch, Aunt Yukino, and Uncle Rogue were taking me out to get some ice cream!" Eve beamed at her.

Lucy's heart froze and she watched as Laxus stopped dead in his tracks. Lucy looked up and saw Orga staring at her with a sad expression on his face, with Yukino, Rogue, and Frosch beside him. Her heart clenched in sadness and she wanted to cry when she saw him. She had missed him so much and now he was here in her presence. She didn't know what to do.

You could practically smell the testosterone in the air when Laxus and Orga both looked at each other. Then Eve eyed Laxus and whispered to Lucy, "Who is he? He looks scary?"

Lucy laughed a little at Eve's observation and replied, "This is Laxus; he is a guild mate of mine."

Eve was about to say something else when Laxus practically barked out, "Lucy, we have to go see Gramps."

Lucy looked at Orga who looked pretty annoyed, but Lucy was pretty damn annoyed herself. This seriously could not be happening again. She was mad at Laxus, she was mad at Orga—and frankly she was just a little damn tired of all this drama.

Luckily before Lucy could unleash a massive string of curse words that were in her head, Eve said to Laxus, "You don't tell Aunt Lucy what to do!"

Laxus looked stunned at the little girl who was eyeing him like she was ready to fight. Lucy smiled at Eve's protectiveness and was impressed by how much the girl had grown, clearly taking after her mom Diane.

Then Laxus cleared his throat and said, "Sorry, I'll just catch up with you later." Then he turned around and headed towards Honey Bone.

Lucy watched as Laxus walked away. It was like he was back to being his closed off self again and like he wasn't even the same man that she had had such a great time with this past week. She'd have a word with him in the inn later and if he wouldn't talk then, then she might have to have Erza force him to talk.

Then Lucy's thoughts were drawn back to Eve when she heard Yukino say to the little girl, "Come on, Eve. Let's go get a spot to eat ice cream while Aunt Lucy and Uncle Orga talk."

Lucy waved at the little girl and watched as Eve said something to Orga, before the Sabertooth Mages walked into the ice cream parlor. Lucy could feel her body start to shake in anger and confusion as she walked up to Orga. She didn't know what to say or how to say it. She was mad at him.

She could feel hot tears run down her eyes and then heard him whisper, "Tiny, I'm so sorry."

"Why?" Lucy asked in a whisper, "Why didn't you answer?"

"I was a dumbass. I thought if we didn't talk then you'd have more uninterrupted time with Dreyar. I was stupid though and missed you like crazy and wanted to kick my own ass for practically shoving you into his arms," Orga replied in a pained voice.

Lucy couldn't hold back her sobs anymore as she muttered out, "Baka."

"Yes, I am," Orga smiled at her faintly as he grabbed her and pulled her into a hug.

Lucy felt a wave of relief wash over her as Orga hugged her close, but then she said, "I'm still mad at you. I thought you were mad at me or hated me."

"I understand, but I could never hate you," Orga replied honestly as he held Lucy in his arms.

Then before Lucy or Orga could say anything else, Lucy heard a familiar voice that made her blood run cold with fear. Lucy felt Orga grab a hold of her tightly when the voice of Minerva said, "Well, isn't this a surprise…seeing the Fairy Trash in the arms of my ex-lover."


	43. Chapter 43

"Minerva," Orga stated in a fearsome tone that made the hair on Lucy's arms stand up.

Orga rarely got angry, but the look in his eyes made Lucy know that his defenses were up. She would just follow Orga's lead on this, but her opinion was that the less Minerva knew...the better.

The exotic woman smiled wickedly at them before she laughed and asked, "Really Orga? Her? I thought you had better taste than that."

Lucy wanted to punch Minerva in her bitchy face so bad. Then Orga said in a protective tone, "The only person's taste that should be questioned is Lucy's, because I still don't know how she could forgive an asshole like me."

Lucy looked up at Orga who looked angrier than Lucy had ever seen. She hated that he was still upset with himself over the past, but none of that mattered to her. She put her hand gently on his arm and said in a quiet tone, "Orga, let's go catch up with the others."

Orga looked down at Lucy who was giving him a nervous smile. He could smell her anxiety mixed with fear and his facial features immediately softened when he looked into the warmth of Lucy's rich brown eyes. He put his arm protectively around Lucy's waist, before they started heading for the ice cream parlor. The conversation with Minerva was done as far as Orga was concerned.

Then Minerva looked at Lucy and sneered, "He is terrific in bed, isn't he?"

The comment made Lucy's blood boil in anger. When she didn't respond though, she saw a murderous glare flash in Minerva's eyes. Lucy suddenly felt the air change slightly around her then Orga commented in a threatening tone, "Minerva, I wouldn't do that if I were you. I don't care how long you've been away from the guild or what you have learned, but you would never beat me in a hundred years."

Lucy felt the air go back to normal and glanced over her shoulder one more time to see Minerva clutching her fists together so hard that blood was running down her hands. Then Minerva disappeared, but somehow Lucy knew that she would see Minerva again.

Lucy let out the breath she didn't know she had been holding. Orga still looked on high alert when Lucy asked him, "You ok?"

Orga took a deep inhale before he replied in a flat voice, "I will be."

"Would you rather go on a walk instead of get ice cream," Lucy asked with a smile.

"Sure," Orga replied with a sigh, but kept his arm around Lucy's waist.

The two walked together in silence until they reached a little park with a fountain. Lucy didn't mind the silence and she knew that Orga was probably just thinking.

When she sat down on the edge of the fountain, she looked at him and asked, "Do you want to talk about it?"

Orga sat down next to her and stated honestly, "I'm more worried about you than me."

Lucy blinked a few times in surprise and asked, "Why?"

He was silent for a few moments before he replied, "Minerva is vengeful. I wouldn't put it past her to try and hurt you. Plus her magic is territorial, so she probably would see me as hers."

"How does that make you feel?" Lucy asked him as she thought about Minerva coming for her in the night or thinking she had some claim over Orga.

"I've never been angrier," Orga answered in a monotone voice.

"But you can beat her right? I mean if she tries something," Lucy stated.

"Yes, but you won't always be by my side," Orga admitted in sadness.

"In a way you are," Lucy said as she held up the lacrima that Orga had given her.

He smiled at her faintly, then he said in a concerned tone, "Lucy, if you see her and you are alone. Use my magic and get the hell out of there. It will teleport you into lightning. I don't doubt your abilities, but she would be fighting to kill and you wouldn't."

Lucy thought about what Orga had said and looked down at her bracelet before she replied, "You're right. I got this bracelet that will keep people from stealing my keys, but she could probably take the bracelet off too. I'll work with Levy, because maybe there's a spell that can keep people from taking the bracelet too."

Orga just nodded before Lucy leaned against him and said, "Thanks for caring and I'll do what you asked if she ever does show up."

"Thanks Tiny," Orga replied with a smile. His body finally started to relax from Lucy's touch.

However one thing was bothering Lucy. She looked up at him and playfully and asked, "What did you mean when you told Minerva that my taste should be the one questioned?!"

Orga let out a chuckle as Lucy narrowed her eyes at him in a mock anger. "Like I said, I don't know how you could forgive me. Especially when I thought I was doing what was best for you this last week," Orga replied in sadness.

"Like I told you on the mountain, you are a different man now. But I am still upset that you wouldn't answer or call. Why would you do that?" Lucy asked as her voice trailed off at the end.

"Because, if you do choose me then I want you 100%. We had uninterrupted time so Laxus needed it too, but looking back on it I shouldn't have done it because I'm in love with you and I should fight for you...as Eve so delicately put it," Orga admitted.

Lucy felt like the world had stilled, except for the butterflies in her stomach and her pounding heart. She tried to swallow down her nerves when she whispered out, "L-love?"

Her heart began to beat even more erratically when Orga turned towards her and put his calloused hand under her chin so that she could look into his stormy eyes. He smiled faintly before he whispered, "Yes, I love you."

Lucy's head and chest were about to explode when Orga pressed his lips to hers. Her toes curled from the force of their desire for one another. Lucy melted and gave in as she kissed him back and ran her fingers through Orga's minty hair. His mouth called to her innermost desires. She could feel every ounce of his love for her with every movement he made; from the way he cupped her face to the way he gently wrapped his arm around her waist. It was all too much and not enough.

The two broke away from their heated kiss for a moment. Orga brushed Lucy's hair behind her ear and kissed her lips gently once more. Lucy was jello. There was no other way to describe how she was feeling other than weak-kneed. She was blown away by Orga's honesty and smiled because Andromeda had been right—he really did love her.

"Don't feel obligated to make a decision or say anything back. I just would regret it forever if I didn't tell you, then I lost you over my own stupidity," Orga admitted to her.

Lucy was blushing wildly and she felt at peace being here in this moment with Orga. Then she asked, "Eve told you to tell me that?"

Orga laughed and said, "Along with smacking me, yes. She's getting to be a feisty one. Kind of reminds me of you and how stubborn you are."

Lucy playfully elbowed Orga in the side before she asked, "What did Eve say to you before they went to get ice cream?"

Orga chuckled and replied, "I might tell you someday, just not today."

Lucy studied Orga for a minute, who had a slight smirk on his face. Lucy shrugged her shoulders then said, "Fine keep your secrets, but I'll get it out of you eventually."

"I hope so," Orga smiled at her.

The two talked about her mission with Laxus and the three new keys she got. She also told him about getting sick and the bracelet that she got from Laxus. Orga didn't seem annoyed by any of it, but was interested in the spirits a lot. He just sighed when Lucy told him how Lynx was a lot like Loke. Orga also told her about his week. They had so much stuff to catch up on.

Finally Orga asked, "Are you ready for tomorrow?"

Lucy blinked in confusion and asked, "What's tomorrow?"

"We are all in Crocus because the King declared the next two days as a Fall Festival. Everyone who competed in the Games this summer will be randomly chosen to fight someone from another guild. It's all by chance," Orga informed her and he grew nervous when Lucy looked like she wanted to puke.

"Oh my god this is terrible!" Lucy whined in despair, "Is that why Minerva is here?"

"Well she can't compete, because she's not in our guild. Besides, Sting wouldn't let her participate even if she was," Orga said as he tried to ease Lucy's nerves.

Then Lucy's eyes widened in horror when she said, "But you and I might have to fight each other!"

Orga just laughed and said, "You fought against me all the time on the mountain."

"That was different," Lucy tried to argue, "Thousands of people weren't watching!"

"You'll be fine," Orga grinned, "I hope you get picked so I can watch you kick someone's ass."

"But there's a chance that I won't compete right?" Lucy asked with hope.

"Right, plus the battles are only going to be 10 minutes long this time. The guild with the most points gets a trophy and some money. It's supposed to just be fun," Orga said as he patted her back.

Lucy didn't like her chances. She had terrible luck when it came to stuff like this. But either way, she was glad that Orga had so much faith in her.

* * *

After awhile, Orga began to escort Lucy back to the Honey Bone Inn. She looked over at him and saw that he grew serious again. "Do you think Minerva will show up here?" she asked.

"Don't think so. She wouldn't risk getting her ass handed to her again by Erza, unless she had an advantage...which she doesn't," Orga replied.

Lucy nodded in understanding then asked, "What about you? Will you be safe?"

"I'll be fine too," Orga reassured her.

"It's just a weird feeling. Knowing that she hates me even more now, because of you," Lucy whispered to him.

He gave her a hug when they reached the inn and said, "I know, but there is nothing she can do to keep us apart."

Lucy smiled at the comment then gave Orga a sweet kiss on the cheek goodnight. She could already hear that her guild mates were completely trashed before she even went inside.

"See you tomorrow Tiny," Orga said as they heard Natsu inside picking a fight with Gray.

"Goodnight Orga," Lucy said with a smile before she stepped into the inn and had to duck when a mug flew towards the door.

Lucy looked around and saw that Erza had just knocked both Natsu and Gray out. She gently stepped over her unconscious friends and went to talk to Erza. Everyone greeted Lucy and were glad to see her back.

"Hey Lucy, did you hear about tomorrow?" Erza said with a smile just as Cana handed Lucy a mug of beer.

"Unfortunately," Lucy sighed out before she took a swig of the drink. "Cana! I can't drink this! I don't want to be hungover if I get picked."

"Fine, I guess I'll drink it," Cana grinned before she added, but tomorrow night you can't hold back!"

"What's tomorrow night?" Lucy asked a little worried by the gleam in Cana's eyes.

"I may have sent out invitations to the females in the other guilds for a night full of drunken debauchery!" Cana cheered.

"Just girls?" Lucy asked, because with Cana you never knew what was going to happen.

Lucy did not see Mira behind her with a calculating look on her face. So Cana just grinned and said, "I can honestly say that I invited only girls."

Lucy turned to talk to Erza when Mira and Cana winked at each other. They were going to make sure that Lucy had a VERY good night tomorrow.

* * *

The guild partied hard and after Lucy told Erza about Minerva, Lucy decided that she had better haul Natsu's and Happy's drunken asses up to their beds. Lucy looked around and noticed that Laxus was nowhere to be seen. She wanted to talk to him and find out what the hell his problem was, but by now he was probably even more cantankerous since they had ran into Orga.

After Lucy had flung Natsu and Happy onto their bed, she saw that her stuff was already in the room. She honestly didn't know if Laxus had brought them in or if Virgo did. Lucy just let out a heavy sigh before she went to find Laxus.

Just as she stepped out into the hallway, Gajeel stepped out of one of the rooms. He looked at her and asked, "What the hell did you do to him?"

Lucy looked around and asked, "To who?"

"Laxus," Gajeel grunted, "Asshole is being more dickish than usual."

"Is he in there?" Lucy asked in a stern tone that made Gajeel jump a little.

When he nodded his head yes, Lucy stormed by him and opened the door and yelled, "Laxus Dreyar! What the fuck is your problem?!"

Lucy blinked a few times when she saw Laxus and Master Makarov staring at her with stunned expressions. Lucy turned around so she could yell at Gajeel for not informing her that the Master was also in the room, but the Iron Dragon slayer had already gotten the hell out of there when he saw the angry look in Lucy's eyes. Lucy reminded Gajeel of Mira, they looked sweet and innocent, but if you pissed them off then you better get on your knees and beg for mercy or run.

Master Makarov just let out a chuckle and said, "I leave you two Love Birds to chat."

Lucy's face heated up and Laxus just ran his hand down his face in exasperation. Master Makarov winked at Lucy when he went by, leaving the two alone in the room.

Lucy looked at Laxus and began to tap her foot on the ground. He looked at her foot, then her posture before he asked, "What?"

"What do you mean 'what?'" Lucy practically screeched, "You had a stick shoved up your ass all day, our trip here was terrible because you wouldn't talk, you bossed me around again in front of people, and I'm tired."

Laxus took a deep breath in. Lucy waited a few moments for him to speak, then when he finally did speak, all he said was, "Sorry."

"Oh my god! Why is it like pulling teeth to get you to talk?" Lucy asked in a worn out voice. She took a seat next to him on his bed and added, "I just don't get it. We were having a really great time together. What changed?"

Laxus looked down at the ground before he replied, "Nothing changed."

"Then what's the problem?" Lucy pleaded in confusion.

"I just don't know how to act around your Spirits. You got three new keys today and I just didn't know what to do. Then things got worse when I found out why we were heading to Crocus, because I knew we'd probably get interrupted before I could explain," Laxus grumbled.

Lucy thought about what he had said for a few minutes before she replied, "I'll always have my Spirits, so whenever I date someone, or hopefully get married someday, that person needs to understand that my spirits and I are family. In regards to how you should act, just be yourself and treat them like you would anyone. They are intelligent an each has their own personality."

Laxus nodded his head to signal that he understood. "Well sorry that I got closed off then," Laxus said truthfully.

Lucy just sighed and shook her head, but then Laxus added in a grim tone, "You smell like him."

Lucy felt like she got caught with her hand in the cookie jar before Laxus chuckled and said, "Its ok, you probably smelled like me when he first saw you."

"I wish I could smell like myself," Lucy huffed out in annoyance. Goddamn Slayer senses.

"Your smell is intoxicating though," Laxus stated in a husky voice.

Lucy felt the butterflies start back up after their short slumber. Laxus's eyes looked at her hungrily. Then before she let herself get too carried away she said, "Can you promise me that the next time you get your manties in a bunch you'll talk to me first?"

"Manties?" Laxus asked in confusion.

"Male version of panties. Cana taught me," Lucy laughed.

"She's a bad influence," Laxus said as he leaned back on his bed and crossed his muscular arms over his massive chest.

"Like you aren't?!" Lucy teased back.

"That's true. I have corrupted many innocent girls," Laxus said with a lecherous grin.

Lucy rolled her eyes and said, "My god, your ego is taking up so much space in this room that I can barely breathe!"

Laxus let out a booming laugh before he asked, "You ready for tomorrow?"

"Ready for it to be over with," Lucy grumbled.

"Not everyone who competed in both of Fairy Tail's teams will even compete, because we outnumber the other guilds," Laxus stated. Then he arched his eyebrow and asked, "What are you going to do if you get matched up against Orga?"

"Fight him obviously," Lucy sighed out and prayed that she wouldn't have to. She would willing to take on anyone but him and Yukino. She didn't like the idea of spirits fighting spirits.

"You'd actually fight him?" Laxus asked in surprise.

"Why wouldn't I?" Lucy asked.

"No reason. I'm not sure I could fight you," Laxus stated.

"What are you going to do in the S-Class Exams then?" Lucy asked a little annoyed.

"Guess we will see when we get there," Laxus said with a shrug of his shoulders.

Lucy frowned and thought for a moment before she said in a firm voice, "I'll expect you to fight me with everything Laxus."

Laxus studied her for a moment before he nodded his head in understanding.

The two talked for a little while longer before Lucy went back to her room. She knew she would need all the rest she could get if she was going to compete.

She had no idea what tomorrow would bring.

* * *

Orga walked into the inn that his guild was staying at. Their festivities were nearly as wild as Fairy Tail's.

He was pretty beat though and was going to head to his room when he heard Yukino ask, "Orga-san, is Lucy-san ok? Rogue said he could smell Minerva."

"Yeah, she'll be fine," Orga reassured Yukino.

Yukino nodded and added, "Rogue told Sting-kun, so everyone in Sabertooth will keep an eye out."

"Thanks," Orga said with a faint smile.

"What will you do if you have to fight Lucy-san tomorrow?" Yukino asked in worry for him.

Orga laughed because Yukino felt like the little sister he never had, because of how she constantly checked up on him—especially about Lucy. Then he said, "Well hopefully that won't happen, but if it does then I won't hold back. I spent three weeks with her and her spirits. She's more than capable, plus I would never insult her spirits by going easy on them. Lupus alone would try to have my head for dishonoring him."

Yukino smiled widely and said, "It's nice that you recognize that about Celestial Mages, because many people don't."

Orga just smiled and patted Yukino's head as he headed up to his room. He let out an exhausted sigh before he entered, then froze when purple runes went up everywhere.

Minerva stepped out of the bathroom in scantily clad lingerie and she smirked at him and purred, "Surprise Lover."

"What have you done?" Orga asked not amused at all and pretty pissed.

"The runes will only last for five minutes, so try to stay calm. I had to seal them specially so that Rogue and Sting wouldn't sniff me out or hear me before you got here, so don't bother calling for help because they won't hear," Minerva grinned at him as she climbed into his bed.

"Get the fuck out of my room," Orga said in annoyance.

"Not until my five minutes are up, but if you want me to keep you company tonight then I will," Minerva breathily said.

"No. Get out," Orga stated again, not budging from where he stood.

"That Trash has that much of a hold on you?" Minerva spat out in disgust.

"Lucy is far from trash," Orga stated now growing angrier that Minerva was bashing Lucy.

"What the fuck has happened to you?" Minerva asked in anger, "It's like you're a different person!"

"That's because I am," Orga stated, "Now, get out."

"I'm trapped in here too until the time is up, asshole," Minerva said in disgust before she changed her tempo and climbed off the bed, "Can she do the same things that I used to do to you?"

"Do not touch me," Orga warned Minerva as she started to reach out for his arm, "I'm sure I can still use my magic on you in here."

Minerva stopped her approach and then stated angrily, "Answer the question."

"I will not answer," Orga said flatly because he wasn't going to play her game. Sure what he had with Minerva was ok at the time, but he knew if he ever got to be with Lucy in a more intimate way, then he'd die a happy man. Her kiss alone ignited a beast inside of him and that was worth far more than anything Minerva had to offer.

"I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw you hug her," Minerva whispered out.

"Why are you even here?" Orga asked.

"I'm allowed to be in Crocus if I want," Minerva sneered at him.

"Why are you even in my room?" Orga clarified.

"Because you are mine, not that Trash's," Minerva said with a flash of anger in her eyes.

"Yours?" Orga practically laughed out in shock, " _ **WE**_  were never anything other than two people who would hook up on occasion."

Orga could feel Minerva's magic start to come off of her in waves of anger when she asked, "Why her? Why her of all fucking people?"

"She's everything I'm not," Orga stated honestly.

Minerva took a deep breath and Orga knew that there was less than two minutes to go. Then Minerva looked at him and said, "If you stay with her, then I promise you will regret it."

Orga's Lightning sparked off his body in anger, making Minerva's eyes widen in fear for a second. He took a step closer to her and said slowly, "If you hurt her or have someone else do your dirty work, then nowhere in Earthland will keep you safe from me."

Then the runes fell and Minerva vanished. There was no way in hell that Orga could sleep in this room now. He felt sick to his stomach, then Rogue and Sting barged in.

"I told you I felt her for a second!" Sting yelled at Rogue.

Rogue looked at Orga and asked, "You ok?"

"What happened?" Sting demanded to know.

"She threatened me about Lucy," Orga said grimly.

Rogue looked worried and Sting said firmly, "Blondie will be fine. If she can cast a spell like she did on that mountain then she could probably give Minerva a run for her money."

Sting's statement wasn't wrong. Lucy was a formidable opponent now with fighting and she had spells too.

Then Rogue added in, "Don't let Minerva's threat keep you from Lucy, but you should tell Lucy what happened."

Orga nodded then Sting said, "I guess we better find you a room that doesn't have Minerva's ass prints on the bed."

* * *

Lucy felt nervous as their team walked towards the coliseum. Natsu was practically jumping off the walls in excitement this morning when he yelled that he was fired up and ready to fight.

It's not that Lucy was uncomfortable fighting, it's just she had looked so weak the last time she was here. She could still hear the booing from the crowd sometimes in her dreams. She felt sick. Then seeing Minerva last night brought back those insecure feelings.

Fairy Tail A & B team all had to sit together since only a few of them would even be chosen to fight. She looked behind her and saw Laxus with his coat slung over his shoulder and Cana walking beside him with her morning bottle of booze.

The brunette said, "I don't care about these fights. I'm just ready to party tonight!"

"Happy and I didn't get invited," Natsu frowned.

"I only invited girls," Cana said with a gleam in her eyes.

"That's sexist," Gray laughed at Cana.

Mira had a mischievous smile on her face that only Elfman noticed, but he was definitely not going to ask her about it. He could see when she was plotting something.

"What if Juvia has to fight Gray-sama today?" Juvia cried changing the subject back to their current predicament.

Gray just sighed and said, "It doesn't work like that. We are on the same team and we can only fight people in the other guilds. Besides, neither of us might fight at all."

"I can't wait to see who gets picked," Erza stated happily.

"I hope it's not me," Wendy whimpered next to Lucy.

Lucy laughed and patted the young girl's head. She understood Wendy's feeling.

* * *

The coliseum was packed and Lucy saw many friendly faces from the other guilds. Then she saw Orga in the distance and waved at him. He smiled back and waved before Erza grabbed Lucy's arm and ran to their seats when they heard Ichiya's voice call out towards them, "MY HONEY!"

When they got to their assigned area, Erza sighed and said, "That was close."

Lucy just laughed and said to Erza, "You might have to fight Ichiya today, you know?"

"That will be a quick fight," Gajeel grunted out.

Lucy looked over at Laxus and smiled. He seemed more at ease around all of them and she liked that side to him.

Suddenly the gong sounded and the judges appeared on the screen. "Ladies and Gentleman, welcome to the First Fall Festival! The king loved the games so much this year that he couldn't wait a whole year to see you again!" Chapati Lola stated in excitement.

"He loved it before or after the dragon attack?" Gray sighed out, making Lucy nod her head in agreement.

"Let's get down to business! The guild that wins will receive 500,000 jewels and a trophy that will be presented by the king himself tomorrow night at the banquet," Chapati stated to everyone, "Now let's see who will fight first!"

Lucy tried to take a deep breath when everyone's faces went up on the lacrima screens and began to spin like a slot machine. She prayed to all the gods above that she would not be chosen.

"The first fight will be between..." Chapti started to say in an excited tone.

Lucy felt her heart stop when her face appeared on the screen. She barely had the chance to whisper out, "No."

"Lucy Heartfilia vs. Jura Neekus!"


	44. Chapter 44

**READ FIRST!**

**This chapter will be very unique, because I wanted everyone to see the battle from lots of different angles, because while Lucy is fighting she blocks everything else out.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Fairy Tail Team A's and B's perspectives….**

"Lucy Heartfilia vs Jura Neekus!" Chapti yelled.

Laxus's eyes widened in horror when he smelled the fear coming off of Lucy. This girl really did have the shittiest luck at times. The Lightning Dragon Slayer wanted to knock Natsu on his ass when he said, ""Luce, I'm so jealous of you right now!"

Laxus watched in shock as Lucy tried to process the information. Even though he could hear better than her, there was no way she couldn't hear the boos and insults that started coming from the crowd. He didn't know what to do. Should he say something to her? Should he offer to fight in her stead? Could he even do that?

Then Laxus watched as Erza tried to console Lucy, "Block everything else out, Lucy."

He could sense the anxiety of his guild mates around him—except for Natsu. He watched as Lucy didn't look at anyone as she left the seating area. He felt sick to his stomach.

Laxus let out a low growl when Natsu yelled towards Lucy, "Kick his ass, Luce!"

Once Lucy was out of sight, Gray tried to punch Natsu and yelled, "HOW CAN YOU BE SO CLUELESS SOMETIMES?!"

Erza intercepted Gray so as not to interrupt the festivities from one of Natsu's and Gray's battles. Natsu looked at Gray in confusion and asked, "What are you talking about?"

Gray looked at Erza in disbelief and said to her, "Explain it to him."

"Explain what?" Natsu said in a more serious tone, "The fact that none of you believe Lucy stands a chance, but I do?"

"Natsu," Erza said quietly, because it wasn't that they didn't believe in her. Jura was just the strongest opponent that anyone in Fairy Tail had the chance to go up against and they couldn't stand it if Lucy was humiliated again.

"It's not that. It's the fact that Jura is a fucking beast," Cana said as she took a drink.

"Jura is one of the most powerful wizards alive," Juvia said nervously, "Juvia is worried for Love Rival."

"Bunny Girl will probably be harassed by the crowd even more after she loses," Gajeel grunted in pity for Lucy.

Laxus didn't say a word as he watched the interaction amongst his guild mates, then he raised his eyebrows when Wendy sided with Natsu and said, "Natsu-san's right. Every Dragon Slayer standing here could smell every one of yours' fear and anxiety when they called out Lucy-san's name. Lucy-san needed our support not our sympathy."

No one could argue with the little bluenette who loved Lucy fiercely. Laxus took a deep breath and waited for Lucy and Jura to meet on the field.

* * *

**Sabertooth Team's perspectives…**

The Sabertooth Mages found their seating area and Orga smiled because he could see Lucy with her guild across the arena. He hoped that tonight he could speak with her about Minerva, but then he heard Sting say, "Yukino! Is it true that you got an invite from Cana about a party tonight for just the girls?"

"Yes," Yukino beamed at her young master.

"That's not fair," Sting pouted a little.

"Why not?" Rogue asked.

"Because if all the girls are partying together, how am I going to pick up anyone tonight?" Sting admitted.

"Frosch thinks so too," Frosch agreed with Sting.

The other Sabertooth Mages sighed in exasperation but were confused as to why Frosch would have agreed with Sting about something sexual. Then Rufus said, "You could always hire a prostitute—if my memory serves me right, you are familiar with the process."

Orga couldn't help but let out a smirk at Rufus's comment as Sting yelled, "That was an accident!"

Then the team listened to Chapti announce the festival. They all watched in anticipation and Orga couldn't help it…he secretly wanted Lucy to get matched up against someone strong so that she could prove to herself that she could handle it. However, the first matchup was not one Orga would have guess in a hundred years.

"Lucy Heartfilia vs Jura Neekus!" Chapti yelled.

"HOLY FUCKING SHIT!" Sting yelled.

"Lucy-san," Yukino said in a worried tone.

Rufus let out a sigh and said, "Poor Ms. Lucy, I was hoping you would get to have a rematch against him, Orga."

Orga smiled, because he had been training a lot so when the opportunity came he would challenge Jura again. When he lost in the final battle at the Games, he was an arrogant asshole that didn't think he could get hurt. Now after spending time with Lucy and training on his own, he knew how much heart you had to have to win too—you couldn't just win on strength alone.

"That's ok," Orga just shrugged, "This will be fun to watch too."

Sting looked at him in shock and asked, "You think she stands a chance against Jura? Minerva is one thing…BUT JURA?"

"She'll be fine," Orga stated obviously annoyed by the crowd's harassment towards the woman that he loved.

Nothing further was said on the matter as the Sabertooth Mages waited in anticipation for Lucy and Jura to enter the field.

* * *

**Yamagata family perspective…**

"I found us a seat!" Dr. Yamagata yelled towards his twin brother.

"Excellent," Mr. Yamagata called back as he tried to carry their buckets of popcorn over the other fans while Dr. Yamagata carried the signs that they had made.

The two brothers took their seats and began to munch happily on their popcorn. They grew excited when they saw all of the mages head towards their seating areas and Mr. Yamagata pointed towards Lucy to his brother and asked him about the magical ties that bound Lucy to her lightning men.

"OH MY!" Dr. Yamagata yelled in excitement, "The ties are even stronger than they were during the summer!"

"Has she picked one of them yet?" Mr. Yamagata asked, secretly hoping for Orga as he removed his jacket to reveal his OrLu 4ever t-shirt.

Dr. Yamagata laughed to reveal his LaLu 4ever t-shirt and replied, "Doesn't look like it. Her bond is still equally tied to both men; however, much to your happiness I'm sure, Mr. Nanagear must have realized that he is in love with her because the bond linking his line back to hers is the purest white I have ever seen."

"That a boy!" Mr. Yamagata yelled in Orga's direction, completely confusing all of the other audience members around them since nothing had started yet.

Then before Mr. Yamagata could ask about Laxus, Chapti began to announce the festivities. The brothers watched as the screen spun with all the different competitors' faces on it before it revealed Lucy's and Jura's faces.

"Lucy Heartfilia vs Jura Neekus!" Chapti yelled.

Mr. Yamagata cheered in delight and turned to his brother and said, "Wait until you see how powerful she is now!"

Dr. Yamagata nodded in excitement as he shoved a handful of popcorn in his face. But then when the crowd started throwing their insults towards Lucy, Mr. Yamagata lost it and started yelling at the hateful people around him, "I'LL CURSE YOU ALL IN A THOUSAND DIFFERENT LANGUAGES!"

Dr. Yamagata continued to eat his popcorn and warned the people, "He isn't joking, I've seen it before. All of you will constantly have wet socks or a constant itch that you can't scratch."

The audience members quieted down around their area at least, because nobody wanted to tick off Mr. Yamagata. The two brothers both relaxed a little again as they awaited the battle.

* * *

**Lucy's perspective…**

"Lucy Heartfilia vs Jura Neekus!"

"Luce, I'm so jealous of you right now!" Natsu yelled in disappointment that he wouldn't be fighting Jura.

Lucy couldn't even hear what anyone else was saying, or even if they were saying anything, because all she could hear were jeers and snickers from the crowd;  _"Well this is going to be a short match",_  " _Isn't that the girl that lost horribly twice this summer?_ ", " _Why would Fairy Tail even allow her to compete again?"_

Lucy felt Erza's hand on her shoulder as the scarlet haired made said, "Block everything else out, Lucy."

Lucy just nodded because she was trying not to cry. She couldn't look at any of her guild mates and she vaguely registered the concerned look on Laxus's face as she walked out of the seating area to head below to the entrance to the arena. Then just before she got out of sight she heard Natsu yell, "Kick his ass, Luce!"

Lucy bit back sobs as she walked down the hallway alone. She saw a bright light and Andromeda stood before her. Lucy ran into the spirit's arms and sobbed, "I can't do this. They'll laugh at me again."

Andromeda felt Lucy's pain along with the rest of her spirits. They wouldn't let her get humiliated again. Andromeda hadn't been there before, but she knew just how scared Lucy was.

The beautiful spirit led her down the hallway and said, "I doubt my abilities will be of much help in this match, but I do know one thing; no one will ever laugh or call you weak ever again."

Lucy looked over at Andromeda who looked surprisingly intimidating. Then Andromeda added, "You only have to last ten minutes right?"

When Lucy nodded her head, Andromeda added, "Your battle against me was longer and I had more power than the man that stands out there now."

Lucy's eyes widened in shock as the entrance to the field came into sight. Andromeda turned to face her and put her hands on Lucy's shoulders before she said, "We believe in you. Aquarius even said to screw the contacts and use any one of us that you need to, but you have to give her and Scorpio a week off for the favor."

"Thank you," was all Lucy could say before she wiped away her tears. She could do this. She would show every single one of those assholes who laughed at her before just how wrong they were.

Lucy nodded at Andromeda and said, "If I fight to tie then I can save more of my magic."

Andromeda smiled at the strategy before she added, "But if you see an opening..."

"Then I'll kick his ass," Lucy smiled.

Andromeda and Lucy hugged one last time before she walked out onto the field where Jura waited for her. He had sympathy in his eyes and Lucy tuned out the sound of the crowd booing her—all she could hear was her own breath and the sound of her heart in her ears.

"Lucy-San," Jura greeted her with a slight bow to the head.

"Jura," Lucy replied with a serious tone, "Don't insult me by going easy on me."

Jura looked shocked by the tenacity of the young woman that stood before him. However, he nodded his head in understanding as they both took their places on the field. Lucy quickly tried to remember everything she could about Jura's magic and which spirits would work best against it. Several different scenarios popped into her mind and she knew that no matter which one she took, then it was going to be a hard fight.

Lucy faced Jura and could feel her body start to shake from nerves, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She felt a sense of peace wash over her, because her spirits believed in her. This fight was more than between her and Jura—it was between her and everyone who ever underestimated her, including herself. It was now or never to show them all what she was really made of.

"Begin!" Chapti yelled.

Lucy simultaneously summoned our Virgo, Lupus, Loke, Lynx, and Scorpio just as Jura casted Rock Wall.

Lucy watched as Jura's eyes widened in shock at how many spirits Lucy could summon and Lucy's plan had worked; Virgo and Lupus broke through Jura's Rock Wall thanks to Virgo's earth magic and Lupus being able to slice the wall in half with his sword. Then Scorpio created a sand screen so Jura would have a difficult time pinpointing where Lucy was. Loke and Lynx battled Jura while Lupus and Virgo continuously tore down his barriers. Then Scorpio switched out with Taurus so that the Bull Spirit could help Loke and Lynx.

However, Lucy moved from where she had originally been standing to unleash a surprise attack at Jura. She had to do this, she had to show them that they shouldn't have underestimated her. She wanted to show everyone the spell that would have won for her team if she had not been cheated. Virgo knew to keep an eye out to make sure none of Jura's walls went at Lucy as Lucy began to recite, without Gemini's aid:

 _Survey the Heavens, Open the Heavens..._  
_All the stars, far and wide..._  
_Show me thy appearance..._  
_With such shine._  
_Oh Tetrabiblos..._  
_I am the ruler of the stars..._

While Lucy had been reciting the incantation to the spell, her voice echoed throughout the arena, and Jura had casted Endless Rock Wall to try and stop her from finishing it. However, Virgo and Lupus were quick and blocked the attacks from hitting Lucy just as the coliseum filled with stars and Scorpio's sand vanished.

 _Aspect become complete..._  
_Open thy malevolent gate._  
_Oh 88 Stars of the heaven..._  
_Shine!_  
_**Urano Metria!** _

Her spell rained down onto Jura, knocking him to his knees, but the Wizard Saint was able to block some of the spell—but not without taking a major hit.

Lucy felt a drop in her magic. Her fiercest spirits were giving it their all against Jura and she could feel the effects of their efforts. She felt Horologium's key and was relieved because she only had five more minutes to go.

She tried to catch her breath when Jura looked at her and said in a proud tone, "Forgive me, I gravely underestimated you Lucy-dono. Not many people can make me fall to my knees."

Lucy noticed the honorific change that Jura made, but then he said, "I guess I better not hold back any longer."

She barely had time to react when Jura put his hands together and yelled, "Rumbling Mt. Fuji!"

Lucy's spirits changed and Taurus quickly switched with Gemini who transformed into Happy. The Twin Spirits grabbed her in time to fly her away from the impact. However, Gemini was hit by a smaller rock and Lucy and Gemini-Happy hit the ground hard as they rolled to the edge of the ring—out of the way of the greatest impact of Jura's magic.

Lucy watched as the rest of her spirits, besides Gemini, had been sent back from his massive attack. She tried to stand and felt the blood come off of her hands and knees. Then her eyes widened in realization when she thought about Jura's magic as she watched her blood soaked up the dirt on the ground.

"Gemini, transform into Juvia," Lucy painfully said because she was pretty sure she had several bruised ribs from her and Gemini's fall.

The Twin Spirit did as she requested and smiled, because they knew what Lucy's plan was. Lucy held out her most powerful spirit's key and put it in the water bubble that Gemini-Juvia had created. Even though Andromeda's key was considered to be the greatest, and even Loke's was supposed to be the strongest as the Leader of the Zodiac, Lucy knew without a doubt that Aquarius's wrath alone would help her the most as she yelled, "Gate of the Water Bearer, I open thee! Aquarius!"

Jura faced them and Lucy remembered Orga telling her the day he gave her the lightning lacrima that his lightning mixed with Aquarius's power would be a bad ass combo and now was the perfect time to test that theory. Especially since she knew that Laxus had beaten Jura, so lightning could help her this time too. Gemini-Juvia transformed into Wendy at Lucy's request for them to try a triple unison raid for the first time. Lucy knew her magic was draining fast, but she would hold on no matter what it took.

Aquarius broke the silence and said loudly for all to hear, "Nobody insults Lucy except for me. Then Aquarius specifically met Jura's gaze and added in a challenging tone, "Water destroys everything, even mountains."

Lucy felt the hairs on her arms stand up and watched as Jura's eyes widened in shock. Lucy and Gemini-Wendy linked hands just as Aquarius held up her pitcher and unleashed a massive wave straight at Jura.

"Tenryū no Hōkō!" Gemini-Wendy yelled into Aquarius's water, just as Lucy grabbed the lightning lacrima around her neck and did just as Orga had instructed. Lucy imagined the lightning linking with Aquarius's and Gemini's magic to create a perfect storm. She watched in awe as the black lightning blasted out around her and mixed in with Aquarius's increasing water and Gemini-Wendy's violent air magic.

The combo swarmed and struck out around Jura and he tried to cast his Iron Rock Wall; however, just as Aquarius said—her water began to destroy Iron Rock Jura's Earth Magic. Lucy couldn't hold back her smile though because she knew that Jura would not be able to withstand the overwhelming magic of the triple unison raid just as the three increased the spell and yelled, "Black Lightning Celestial Tsunami!"

Lucy felt herself growing weaker and weaker as the storm grew and swirled around the entire coliseum and a large wave crashed into Jura's wall. The impact finally broke through Jura's last defense and was just about to engulf him…

"TIME'S UP!" Chapti yelled.

The magic faded away from the arena and Aquarius and Gemini went back to their world with proud smirks on their faces. The stadium was dead silent as Jura and Lucy looked at each other, both trying to catch their breath.

"IT'S A TIE!" Chapti screamed into the microphone as cheers erupted into the stadium.

"COOL! COOL! COOL!" Jason yelled in excitement.

"That was a terrific battle," Yajima said with joy in his voice.

Lucy fell to her knees in relief and exhaustion. She watched as Jura walked over to her and bowed before her. The cheers grew louder and Jura said with pride in his voice, "Fairy Tail's mages never cease to amaze me. You truly are a great Mage, plus the black lightning was quite the surprise."

Lucy blushed from the praise and then heard Natsu yell, "Luce! I knew you could do it! Fight me!"

Jura stepped away as her team and Wendy lunged at her and pinning her to the ground with hugs.

"Lucy-san, you and Gemini were so amazing!" Wendy yelled feeling pride that Lucy would use her abilities in the fight against Jura.

"I feel like a proud parent," Erza cried in tears of joy.

"Thanks a lot for using Gemini like that Lucy, now Juvia is asking me if you have me copied for your own pleasure," Gray teased as he helped her up.

Lucy was too out of breath to reply to any of them, so Gray and Natsu put Lucy on their shoulders as the crowd chanted her name over and over.

Despite all the fanfare, Lucy held her keys in her hands. She could feel their love and pride from her spirits as she whispered to them, "Thank you."

* * *

**Fairy Tail Team A's and B's perspectives…**

Laxus felt tense as he watched Lucy and Jura face each other. The crowd had not stopped booing Lucy or cheering for Jura. Laxus couldn't even imagine how humiliated Lucy might feel, but as he watched her face Jura, he couldn't help but admire her bravery. A lot of people wouldn't have the courage to even face Jura—let alone face him while an entire coliseum of people were hurling insults at you. He smiled faintly and thought that Lucy was pretty amazing.

"Begin!" Chapi yelled.

Laxus watched as Lucy summoned out five of her spirits at once and Natsu was screaming like a lunatic for Lucy to kick Jura's ass.

"Lucy can summon out five spirits now!" Mira said in shock.

"Lucy is a Man!" Elfman agreed as Scorpio's sand clouded the field.

"Oh man this is going to be soooo good!" Natsu yelled in excitement.

The announcers started commentating on the battle when Jason yelled, "Lucy can summon out five spirits?! THAT'S COOOOOOL!"

Yajima agreed, "It is a rare thing that a Celestial Mage can summon out two spirits—let alone five."

Then Laxus heard Lucy's voice, reciting to the lines of the spell she used during her battle against Flare.

"She's showing everyone the spell that was sabotaged before," Gray said in realization before he smiled warmly and added, "Show them what you're made of Lucy."

"That a girl Lucy," Cana smiled as Lucy's voice got louder and then she finally came into view again on the field.

"URANO METRIA!" Lucy's voice boomed through the coliseum as stars filled the arena. Laxus watched in amazement as Lucy's stars rained down and knocked Jura off balance—so much that he had fallen to his knees.

"Looks like Bunny Girl does pack a pretty hefty punch now," Gajeel said impressed.

The four dragon slayers stiffened though when they heard Jura say to Lucy, "I guess I better not hold back any longer."

Laxus didn't even realized that he had stopped breathing as Erza called out to Lucy, "Run Lucy!"

The crowd was in awe that Lucy had lasted this long and everyone cheered when Jura yelled, "Rumbling Mt. Fuji!"

Laxus watched as Lucy's twin spirits came out changed into Happy and tried to get her out of the way, but Loke and the others had taken too much damage and disappeared back into their world.

"THAT'S IT HAPPY! WATCH OUT FOR LUCE!" Natsu yelled excitedly.

Wendy and Gray both sweatdropped as Wendy reminded him, "That's not actually Happy, Natsu-san."

The cheers for Jura continued, but Laxus watched as Lucy stood back up. Laxus almost wished that he understood Lucy as much as her team did when Natsu chuckled and said in a serious voice, "Man, Luce is really fired up now."

"Mmm…that look on her face means she is about to solve a problem," Erza smiled as she watched Lucy.

Then they saw Gemini-Happy transformed into Juvia. Juvia gasped and yelled, "GRAY-SAMA! THAT'S NOT REALLY JUVIA! DOES LOVE RIVAL HAVE YOU COPIED FOR HER OWN PLEASURE?"

Gray just sighed and they all watched as Lucy summoned out Aquarius. Then Gray said to Natsu and Erza, "Do you think Aquarius will flood the entire place?"

The Fairy Tail team felt shivers run down their spine and Laxus knew everyone in the audience was practically holding their breath when everyone heard Aquarius's voice say, "Nobody insults Lucy except for me. Water destroys everything, even mountains."

Then Natsu pointed out, "Oi Wendy is there too!"

Wendy blushed like crazy and said, "Why would Lucy-san chose me? She could have chosen someone like Erza-san, Natsu-san, or Gray-san."

Juvia cried in despair at Wendy's statement, causing the girl to practically jump out of her own skin.

Yajima's voice came over the speaker and said, "Not only can Lucy summon out five spirits, but she can use one of her spirits to transform into a Dragon Slayer."

Chapti asked for everyone to hear, "Yajima-san, are saying that Lucy not only fuels the magic of her spirits, but she can equal one of her friend's power while using her own?"

Laxus had never thought of it that way before when Yajima replied, "Yes, Gemini Wendy Marvel has the exact same abilities as the Wendy watching the battle with her guild mates. Lucy in a sense can be at least twice as powerful as any normal mage—but in reality she can be at least five times more powerful since she can summon out five spirits."

The crowd started to realize that they had made a grave mistake at insulting Lucy. Then Laxus watched closely and saw that Lucy grabbed ahold of the lacrima Orga had given her. His eyes narrowed when black lightning started to spark off of Lucy and mixed with the magic of her spirits to create a storm.

"Black Lightning, now that's a new trick," Gajeel said with an arch to his eyebrow.

"COULD THIS BE ORGA NANAGEAR'S LIGHTNING THAT LUCY IS USING?!" Chapti screamed into the microphone.

"AHH! ORLU BABIES! BABY MINT!" Mira screamed in excitement that Lucy was using the magic she received from one of her suitors.

Natsu threw his arms around Erza's and Gray's shoulders as the teammates watched one of their own command the battle field. Laxus tried to stay calm as the storm grew and the fans in the audience grew nervous that the storm would start to strike out at them. Jura would not be able to hold out for much longer.

Then he watched as Lucy and her spirits yelled, "Black Lightning Celestial Tsunami!"

Natsu was jumping up and down and Erza and Wendy were hugging each other as Lucy's magic headed for Jura.

"TIMES UP!" Chapti yelled.

Once again Laxus found himself holding his breath as Lucy and Jura stared at each other in anticipation before Chapti declared, "IT'S A TIE!"

Team Natsu and Wendy quickly ran past everyone, because they wanted to congratulate Lucy. The crowd was going frantic and Gajeel snorted in disgust when the crowd started chanting Lucy's name. "Ten minutes ago they were pretty much telling her that she was worthless. What a bunch of wishy-washy assholes," the Iron Dragon Slayer grumbled.

However, Laxus had almost forgotten about everything else entirely as he watched Lucy and her team, because the only thing he could think about was Black Lightning.

* * *

**Sabertooth's Perspective…**

"BEGIN!" Chapti yelled and Orga grinned when Lucy summoned out five spirits. He recognized them all except for the one that he knew must be Lynx. Lucy was right, he did look like a playboy.

"Lucy-san can summon out five spirits now?" Yukino asked Orga in admiration.

"Yep," Orga stated proudly.

"Holy fucking hell," was all Sting could say as he practically hung over the edge of the seating area in excitement.

When they heard Lucy beginning to recite her spell, even though none of them could see her because of Scorpio's magic, Rufus said, "If my memory serves me correctly, this is the same spell that Lucy used during the games."

"Yeah before she was cheated," Rogue added in annoyance because he hated cheaters.

The sand cleared away as Lucy's voice boomed throughout the coliseum as the stars rained down on the field, "URANO METRIA!"

Orga smirked when he saw Jura fall to his knees and Sting said, "No fucking way! Orga! You turned Lucy into a pure beast!"

"Frosch thinks so too," Frosch agreed.

"Lucy-san is strong," Lector stated in amazement.

Orga knew that the battle was far from over though, but Tiny only had five more minutes to go. She was smart so she could tie this battle if not win it.

The God Slayer watched as Jura casted the spell that beat him in the group challenges during the games with the Magic Power Finder. But Lucy was quick and Gemini-Happy got her out of the way for a lot of the damage. However, Orga hated seeing Virgo vanish back into her world because of the impact of Jura's magic. He and the Maid Spirit had gotten pretty close while they were on Samui Yama because of all the meal prepping and planning that they did so that Lucy could train.

"What's she doing?" Sting asked because everyone was so on edge.

Orga watched as Gemini changed into Juvia and Orga grinned, because he knew exactly who Lucy was going to call out. Then Orga replied to Sting, "She's calling out the spirit that will win her the fight."

Then the mermaid appeared next to Lucy and Yukino said to Sting, "Aquarius is one of Lucy's strongest spirits. She has a pretty violent temper."

The Sabertooth Mages listened in awe when Aquarius spoke for all to hear, especially her jibe at Jura. Then Orga saw something he did not expect. His eyes widened when Gemini changed into Wendy and Lucy grabbed ahold of the lacrima that he had given her. He felt pride swell in his chest and had to give it to her that it was going to be a pretty bad ass ending to an epic fight as his lightning mingled with Aquarius's and Gemini's magic.

"COULD THIS BE ORGA NANAGEAR'S LIGHTNING THAT LUCY IS USING?!" Chapti screamed into the microphone.

The crowd gasped and Sting started yelling, "ORGA! THAT'S YOUR LIGHTNING!"

"That's very clever," Rogue said while Yukino clutched his arm because she wanted Lucy to win sooooo bad.

"You got this Tiny," Orga whispered just as Lucy, Aquarius, and Gemini yelled out their massive attack.

Together they watched as Jura's defenses started to crumble and now Yukino was practically strangling Rogue from her excitement. In a way Orga felt like Lucy was helping him get his dignity back too, as his lightning mingled with her magic and was heading straight for Jura.

"TIME'S UP!" Chapti yelled as the magic faded away from the arena.

"SHIT! SHE WAS SO CLOSE!" Sting yelled up at the sky in frustration.

"IT'S A TIE!" Chapti yelled.

"If it would have been any longer, then I believe Ms. Heartfilia would have won," Rufus said with a smile.

Orga watched as Lucy's team attacked her in excitement. Now he couldn't wait for this day to be over so he could go tell her what an awesome job she did. He smiled as he watched Gray and Natsu carry Lucy off with pride for their teammate, but all Orga could think was how he wanted to marry that girl someday.

* * *

**After the battle Misc. Perspectives…**

Happy was jumping up and down in excitement at everything as he was yelling, "LUCY USED ME AND NOT LILY TO HELP HER! WE ARE THE STRONGEST TEAM IN FIORE!"

"It wasn't really you though," Carla reminded him, even though she was secretly proud that Lucy had also copied Wendy to use in the battle.

"LUCY! I'M GOING TO BUY YOU A FISH FOR LUNCH!" Happy yelled towards his teammate as Natsu and Gray carried her off.

Carla and Lily just smiled while their guild mates started crying like crazy at how awesome Lucy was. Master Makarov was a sobbing mess that one of his children had grown so much in such a short amount of time.

* * *

Lyon blinked in shock as he watched Gray and Natsu carry Lucy off.

"SHE WOULD HAVE BEATEN JURA!" Toby yelled in shock.

All Lyon could do was stand there in awe.

* * *

"That fight was magnificent," Ichiya declared as he struck a pose.

Hibiki just smiled, because Lucy had changed so much from the girl he had originally met. He felt so happy for her and said, "She's able to cast the spell entirely on her own now, well done Lucy."

* * *

The Yamagata brothers sat next to each other with smiles on their faces and Dr. Yamagata admitted, "You were right brother, she is a lot stronger now."

Mr. Yamagata nodded in excitement and then Dr. Yamagata added, "You must be pretty smug right now since Lucy used Orga's magic too."

"WOHOO!" Mr. Yamagata yelled while pointing to his shirt, "ORLU FOREVER!"

* * *

Minerva sat in a darkened bar as she eyed the lacrima screen in anger as Natsu and Gray carried that trash off of the field. She was so angry that she had broken the glass that she had been holding in her hand and blood was now gushing out of the cut.

"Are you all right Miss?" the bar tender asked in shock and worry when he saw the blood everywhere.

Minerva ignored the man and turned to leave. How dare that little bitch use Orga's magic. She knew that she couldn't hurt Lucy now—not with Orga watching over her. She would have to be patient and bide her time, even if it took years. She didn't know how and she didn't know when, but someday she would make Lucy pay.


	45. Chapter 45

Gray and Natsu gently laid Lucy down on one of the beds in the healing room while Wendy attended to her wounds. Lucy smiled at her team and Natsu began running around and couldn't stop yelling, "LUCE THAT WAS SO AWESOME! I CAN'T WAIT TO FIGHT YOU!"

Erza nodded her head in agreement and said, "You have come a long way Lucy and I'm glad you were able to get your revenge in a way by showing everyone Urano Metria."

"Thanks guys," Lucy said as she winced a little from her rib pain.

"That lightning was pretty surprising though," Gray added in, "How exactly where you able to use Orga's magic?"

"With this," Lucy said as she held up the little lightning lacrima, "Orga made it for me."

Her team all crowded around her to get a closer look at it and then Natsu asked, "Do you think he would make me one?"

Lucy just sweatdropped and replied, "Probably not."

"I'm still going to ask him though," Natsu said with a cheeky grin that made Gray sigh and shake his head.

Then the team got quiet when the heard the Chapti announce, "The next battle will be between: Bacchus Groh vs Ren Akatsuki!"

"That will be an interesting fight," Gray stated.

"You guys can go ahead and go watch. I think I will rest in here for this one, then come out and watch the rest with you," Lucy said with a yawn.

"I can stay with you if you want, Lucy-san," Wendy said with a smile.

"No it's ok, I just want to rest my eyes for a minute so you guys go enjoy everything," Lucy replied with a bright smile.

Her team nodded and as they made their way out and then Natsu turned back to look at her and said, "I knew you could kick his ass, Luce!"

Lucy smiled at her best friend and replied, "Thanks for believing in me Natsu."

He gave her a cheesy grin then went to meet up with the rest of the Fairy Tail A and B teams. Lucy couldn't help but smile as she leaned her head back against the wall. She did it. She really did it. Her body felt so drained from all of the magic she used, but she felt so happy knowing that she finally showed everyone that she was just as strong as the rest of Team Natsu.

Lucy let out another yawn just as there was a knock at the door. She looked over at it and said, "Come in."

Her eyes widened when Laxus peeked his head in. "Hey Laxus! What are you doing here?" Lucy asked in surprise.

"Came to see how you were doing," Laxus replied as he walked over and sat down on one of the beds next to hers.

Lucy gave him a kind smile and said, "I'm good, but pretty wiped."

Laxus chuckled and replied, "I would imagine so, that was a pretty smart strategy on your end."

"Thanks," Lucy replied warmly, because she could tell that Laxus really meant what he had said. He hardly ever gave anyone praise when it came to fighting. Then she added, "Well I actually need to thank you for that."

"For what?" Laxus asked in surprise and slightly confused.

"I wouldn't even have thought to use Orga's lightning if I didn't remember that you had beaten Jura. So I knew that with Aquarius's magic and some lightning then I stood a chance."

Laxus just nodded, but Lucy noticed that Laxus looked like he was deep in thought about something, so she asked, "Hey, what's up?"

He quickly snapped out of his thoughts and replied, "It's nothing. I'm just glad that you got to show everyone how awesome you really are."

Lucy blinked in surprise before she began to blush like crazy. She suddenly felt like the room was too hot when Laxus got up and sat down next to her on the bed. "W-well, uum…thanks Laxus," Lucy stammered out as Laxus got closer to her.

"Anytime Blondie," Laxus whispered before he cupped her face with his hand and gently pressed his lips to hers.

Lucy's heart began to pound so loud that she could hear it in her ears as Laxus pulled her closer to him to capture her lips better. There were so many thoughts running through her head as his thumb brushed across her cheek and his other hands gently wrapped around her waist. He smelled so intoxicating.

Then suddenly Laxus pulled away with a smirk and said, "I better let you rest."

"Yeah, like that will happen now," Lucy snorted out in a flustered tone that made Laxus's confident grin get even wider.

"Let's just go watch the damn competition," Lucy stated quickly, making Laxus want to chuckle.

"Whatever you say Blondie," Laxus agreed and reached out his hand to help her up.

Lucy just shook her head at the smug Dragon Slayer, but took his hand because she was still feeling pretty exhausted from her battle. Her magic hadn't fully regenerated yet but she could already tell how much stronger she was than just a few months ago, because it used to take her a lot longer to recover from major battles.

* * *

Together Laxus and Lucy walked toward Fairty Tail A's and B's seating area. When they got there, the fight between Ren and Bacchus had just ended in a tie and Gajeel snorted, "At this rate we will all have to split the prize money because nobody is going to win."

Lucy had her arm wrapped around Laxus's and Mira nearly fainted as she screamed, "OH MY GOD! BABY MINT AND LALU TWINS!"

Laxus just rolled his eyes and then Lucy asked, "Wouldn't that be a bit weird Mira? Having Orga's and Laxus's children?"

"I don't think so! It sounds like the sexiest fairy tale I have ever came up with," Mira said honestly making everyone else sweatdrop.

Erza just shook her head at her childhood friend's weird fantasies then handed Lucy a letter and said, "This was dropped off for you."

Lucy blinked in surprise and then opened the letter and watched as a bunch of confetti popped out of the card and two tiny little banners that said 'OrLu 4ever' and 'LaLu 4ever' rose up from the card. Mira squealed again in excitement and said, "See! Somebody else believes in my dream too!"

Laxus just sighed while Lucy's eyes scanned the document:

_My dearest Lucy,_

_You were so wonderful against your fight against Jura! I told my brother that you were so much stronger and that you would be amazing._

_I am sending you this invitation to dine with us for lunch. You are more than welcome to bring Mr. Dreyar along with you._

_See you at Noon! An escort will arrive to pick you up, because the Princess is letting us use a special chamber to treat you with._

_Love,_

_Mr. Yamagata_

_P.S. Your mother would have been so proud of you today._

_Also, your loud team, especially the Flaming Terror, is not invited because I don't want to have to pay for any damages he causes._

Lucy had to wipe a tear away and laughed at Mr. Yamagata's words. She was so happy that he had seen her fight today and she was excited to see him again. Lucy looked up at Laxus and showed him the letter and asked, "Would you want to join me for lunch? You'll get to meet the man that requested the job on Samui Yama and his brother that…"

Laxus gave her a questionable look when she trailed off before he asked, "That what?"

Lucy's eyes widened in realization. She forgot that Mr. Yamagata had the twin brother that was the physician that helped her after she was attacked on her way to Samui Yama with Orga. He was the man that gave her the weird medicine that made her fantasize about Laxus in her sleep and hit on Orga the whole night.

She slapped her hand against her face and replied to Laxus, "It's ummm nothing. So do you want to go?"

Laxus arched his eyebrow and saw the OrLu 4ever and LaLu 4ever banners and then replied, "I'd love to, Blondie."

Lucy smiled as she put the letter away, just as Chapti announced, "The next battle will be between: Yukino Agria vs. Kagura Mikazuchi!"

Lucy's eyes widened before she ran up to stand in-between Erza and Natsu. The crowd was going wild at the rematch and Lucy was worried for Yukino and she hoped that Yukino would be able to redeem herself as well.

* * *

The battle between Yukino and Kagura was even more intense than the first time. Lucy and Wendy were holding onto each other and Lucy kept closing her eyes. She had felt bad for her friend, because just like with her fight against Jura—people were booing Yukino and favoring Kagura. However, much to Lucy's happiness, Yukino was able to distract Kagura long enough for her to also cast Urano Metria. The crowd went ballistic since both Celestial Mages used the same move; however, Urano Metria actually won Yukino her fight. Sabertooth was now in the lead of the Fall Festival.

The last battle before everyone would break for lunch was between Chelia and Eve, to which Wendy was super excited about. It was also a long fought battle that ended with a tie. Even though the battles this time around were more evenly matched, Lucy couldn't help but notice how everyone had grown in their abilities in just a few months.

Then Chapti came over the speakers and said, "We will let our mages rest for an hour before we come back and finish up the Fall Festival! Only five more battles to go! Who will take home the First Annual Fall Festival Trophy?!"

Then just as Mr. Yamagata had said in his letter, a guarded escort came to pick up Lucy and Laxus for their lunch date with Mr. Yamagata and Dr. Yamagata. Lucy looked over at Laxus and asked, "You ready to go?"

Laxus just nodded before Natsu yelled, "WAIT!? WHY CAN'T I GO!?"

"Because the letter said so," Lucy said nervously.

"OI THAT'S NOT FAIR THAT LAXUS GETS TO GO!" Natsu wined.

Then before Lucy could apologize to Natsu, a dark aura started to radiate off of Mira—making everyone tremble in fear. She looked at Natsu and said, "Naaaatsu, don't ruin my fantasy of a LaLu lunch."

"Aye," Natsu whispered out in fear as he bowed before Mira.

Then Mira turned to smile at a scared Lucy and said cheerily, "You and Laxus have fun!"

"H-hai," Lucy stammered out just before the guards escorted them away.

* * *

Together Laxus and Lucy followed the guards down several passage ways, luckily avoiding a majority of the crowds. However, they did pass by a few fans and Lucy couldn't help but overhear the catcalls that men were now starting to give her. She was amazed at the stupidity of the male species. However, most of the calls died down once Laxus shot them all death glares and causing a few of the men to run away in fear.

When they finally reached the area where they would be dining with the Yamagata twins, Lucy's eyes widened in shock when she saw Orga being escorted towards them as well. This lunch was going to get super awkward super fast.

After the escorts had excused themselves, Orga met her gaze and couldn't help but smile at her before he greeted her, completely ignoring Laxus's presence, "Hey Tiny, those were some pretty bad ass moves against Jura."

Lucy couldn't help but smile back before she replied, "Thanks Orga, I had a pretty great teacher."

The scowl on Laxus's face was quite apparent and then the two Lightning Mages finally made eye contact. Lucy noticed that the hair on her arms began to rise along with the hair on her head from the static electricity that was now in the air.

Laxus narrowed his eyes at Orga and asked, "So how's Minerva? I thought I saw her lurking around last night."

Orga narrowed his eyes back at Laxus, just as Lucy let out a shocked gasp. She had never told Laxus about Minerva showing up. When did he see her?

Then Orga looked at Lucy and admitted, "There is something I need to talk to you later about concerning Minerva."

Lucy looked worried and just nodded her head, but then Orga looked back at Laxus and let his ego take over a little when he added, "Glad  _MY_  lightning could help you today, Tiny."

Laxus let out a low growl and stated in annoyance, "Oh everyone is well aware how much Orga satisfies Lucy now."

"I told you that day at the train station that I would make sure that she would come back satisfied," Orga said in a threatening tone.

"Yeah, after you ogled over her massive tits," Laxus barked out.

"If I was told correctly about your past transgressions as a Mage, did you not say the same thing when you only offered to help your guild if the big-boobed newbie became your woman?" Orga retorted back in annoyance.

"Well she still hasn't been stupid enough to crawl into your bed," Laxus added in disgust.

"Or yours," Orga barked back.

"Not yet, but I am in her guild and I was there by her side in the infirmary—comforting her," Laxus smirked at Orga.

"So you can only kiss her when she is too exhausted to turn you down?" Orga asked angrily.

"At least none of my whoreish exes ever beat the shit out of Blondie," Laxus growled back.

"Yeah, I'm sure that the noble Laxus Dreyar has only been with sweet, innocent virgins with every one night stand he has been with," Orga laughed out in mocked tone.

Lucy couldn't believe at what she was witnessing. It was like both men had lost their goddamn minds. She held up both of her hands in-between both men, instantly making both of them stop, before she said in a tone that would have made both Erza and Mira proud, "What the hell is wrong with you two?"

Both men audibly gulped at the angry Lucy that appeared before them. Lucy turned to Orga and asked, "What did you mean when you said you told Laxus at the train station that that you would make sure I came back satisfied?"

But then before Orga could answer she turned her gaze towards Laxus and snapped out, "So you only kissed me a little bit ago because of some stupid competition between you and Orga?!"

Both men felt ashamed for what they had done, but Lucy wasn't finished yet when she let them have it, "How dare either of you claim to have any say for my feelings! Frankly, I want nothing to do with either of you at the moment if your first instinct is to act like a goddamn caveman when your paths cross. I'd rather die a virgin!"

Then the door opened up behind Lucy and there stood the Yamagata twins both with mischievous smiles. Before either men could apologize, Lucy spun around and ignored them both and greeted the Yamagata brothers with the sweetest and most polite smile that made Laxus and Orga more terrified than Lucy's actual angry look.

"Hello, Mr. Yamagata. Hello, Dr. Yamagata. Thank you so much for the lovely invitation to eat lunch with you," Lucy said in a sickly sweet tone.

"Lucy, my dear! It's so wonderful to see you again!" Mr. Yamagata said excitedly before he took her hand and led her into the lovely suite that had been prepared for them.

Dr. Yamagata smiled at both men before he shook his head and said, "Don't worry my boys, I'm sure you can make it up to the lovely Lucy later tonight."

Neither Laxus nor Orga knew what Dr. Yamagata meant by that but followed the elderly man into the room. They continued to butt heads with each other though, because they were not finished with each other just yet. However, much to both of their disdain the two men had to sit next to each other while Lucy said in-between the Yamagata brothers.

Both Lightning Men took a seat on the pillows at the low table that had quite the spread set out before them, just as Mr. Yamagata said, "Lucy, Mr. Mori told me all about how you saved the day and all those little girls in Oak Town! Do tell me all about it."

Lucy smiled and began to tell the Yamagata brothers all about her adventures ever since she left Samui Yama. Laxus and Orga were both listening; however, they both reached for the same piece of bread at the same time and another fight nearly broke out amongst the two. Luckily, for their sakes, Lucy did not notice the mental battle going on between the two lightning men. From Lucy's perspective, minus Laxus and Orga acting like a pair of jackasses, it was a rather lovely lunch chatting with her old friends. Andromeda and Lupus came out to visit for a while, much to Mr. Yamagata's happiness. Plus Lucy introduced her new spirits to the Yamagata brothers as well.

* * *

Much to Lucy's sadness, it was already time to head back to finish up the final battles. Mr. Yamagata grabbed her hand and gave it a gentle kiss before he said, "You were rather brilliant today my Dear Lucy. Your Mother…I have no doubt that she was smiling up in heaven at what an amazing mage you have become."

Both Orga and Laxus stopped their mental battle for a moment when they saw a few tears fall down Lucy's face. They watched as she hugged Mr. Yamagata and whispered, "Thank you for believing in me, even when I didn't believe in myself."

Mr. Yamagata lost it after that and began to cry too, making his twin brother shake his head in merriment. Then Lucy thanked both men for the lovely lunch, before she turned to leave. Laxus and Orga followed her lead and also thanked the Yamagata brothers, then when they turned around to leave—Lucy was already gone because she was still angry at them.

Dr. Yamagata chuckled and said to the men, "Don't fret my young friends, Lucy has a kind heart and will forgive both of yours' pigheadedness."

Mr. Yamagata couldn't help but laugh and wipe away his tears when he added, "It was rather amusing. Listening to you two bicker in front of her."

Laxus and Orga both flinched and both of them knew that they had royally screwed up. The two Lightning Men bid their farewells then stepped out into the hallway together.

They both took a deep breath and it was Laxus that said, "I really hate you, you know that?"

Orga snorted and replied, "The feeling is mutual."

"Is it?" Laxus asked in annoyance, "Do you know how hard it is to live up to you? You were the one that got Blondie to be so kick-ass, not me."

"Do you know what it is like to love the same girl as Laxus Dreyar?" Orga asked with an arch to his brow, "It's not a fucking picnic for me either."

Laxus furrowed his brows together when Orga said love. Then he asked, "You really care about her a lot don't you."

"Yes," Orga said flatly.

"And Minerva?" Laxus asked in annoyance.

"Nothing but a past mistake that is now threatening Lucy," Orga admitted before he added, "Just do me a favor, if you see Minerva again, especially in Magnolia, just make sure that Tiny is safe."

Laxus just nodded in understanding. The two men practically hated everything about each other, but the one thing they would agree on was that Lucy's safety was the most important thing to them along with her happiness.

Then when they both turned away, Laxus stated gruffly, "I'm not giving her up without a fight."

Orga just replied, "I wouldn't expect anything less."

* * *

Lucy had already walked back to the Fairy Tail seating area. Her body was shaking in anger as she thought about the stupid little stunt that Laxus and Orga had both pulled. Then when the others came back, Mira asked happily, "Lucy!? How was your wonderful lunch date?"

"Before or after the dick measuring content?" Lucy replied darkly.

Cana nearly choked on her drink and Gajeel let out an amused chuckle. But Natsu's stupidity showed when he asked, "Who's dicks were you measuring Lucy?"

Gray just face-palmed and Erza shook her head just as Laxus came back too. Wendy gave the Lightning Dragon Slayer a slight smile, because everyone could tell that Lucy was very angry about something.

Laxus just took a deep breath and then everyone listened when Chapti announced, "Welcome back everyone! Here comes the final half of the Fall Festival. Our first matchup after the break will be between…"

Everyone held their breath, but then Erza screamed, "NO!"

"Erza Scarlett vs Ichiya Vandalay Kotobuki!" Chapti yelled.

Lucy just patted Erza's shoulder and everyone felt pity for Erza because Ichiya was already on the battlefield awaiting his Honey in a speedo and carrying a bouquet of red roses.

When Erza disappeared, Mira said, "My, my…poor Erza."

"This will be the shortest battle," Gajeel just grunted out.

* * *

Sure enough, once the battle began, Erza immediately knocked Ichiya out. Thus ending the fight in a matter of four seconds. However, the crowd still cheered wildly for Erza and many were just grateful when Ichiya was dragged off of the field because nobody wanted to see that man in a speedo.

The following battles were just as entertaining or odd in their own ways. After Erza's battle, Risley Law from Mermaid Heel went up against Jäger from Quatro Cerebus. However, instead of an actual fight, Jäger got down on his knees and confessed his undying love for Risley and admitted how he had fallen in love with her from afar during the last games. Mira was fangirling like crazy and even the audience was moved by Jäger's confession before the two mages embraced on the field and began to make out—thus making another tie for the tournament.

* * *

The next battle was far more exciting for people who actually wanted to watch a fight. It was between Rufus Lore and Lyon Vastia. Gray was certain that Lyon would win, since he himself had beaten Rufus during the Games. The battle was close and intense, but then Rufus surprised everyone when he used his Memory Make Magic to copy of Juvia.

Juvia screamed in shock when she once again appeared on the battlefield and once again tried to tell Gray that the image wasn't really her and just before Lyon sent an attack at Rufus, the image of Juvia stood in front of him with a sweet smile—making Lyon freeze. Thus giving Rufus the upper hand and knocking Lyon out; keeping Sabertooth in the lead.

Gray just face palmed again before he muttered, "Who knew that Lyon would be such a pansy about love."

Lucy just giggled and nudged Gray, "I guess his heart isn't as cold as yours."

* * *

The next battle was also a quick one between Millianna from Mermaid Heel and Rocker from Quatro Cerebus. Erza was very proud of her childhood friend when Millianna swiftly ended the fight, because Rocker was distracted by Millianna's revealing outfit.

Cana was ready for the day to be over when she said, "Thank god that the next fight is the last one. I'm ready for us to start partying."

"It's still the early afternoon though," Elfman argued with her.

"That doesn't matter," Cana smiled.

"If the pattern is correct, then that means this final fight will be between someone from Sabertooth and someone Fairy Tail because we are the only two guilds that have yet to go for a third time," Erza stated as they all looked up at the lacrima screen.

Lucy felt a little more at ease. She still refused to look at Laxus and could tell that his eyes had been on her almost the whole time, but she was still angry with both him and Orga. She was thankful that tonight would be just girl time because she needed a break from all the male testosterone in the air.

Her thoughts were drawn back to the festival though when Chapti yelled, "The final battle will be between…"

Lucy's eyes widened in shock when she saw the two faces appear on the screen.

"LAXUS DREYAR VS ORGA NANAGEAR!"

"Good luck Laxus!" Natsu yelled out at the Lightning Dragon Slayer who had already stormed off.

Lucy had refused to look at Laxus when he left because she didn't want this. Laxus and Orga had already been fighting earlier. They didn't need to fight anymore.

However, Cana spoke up and said, "Smile Lucy, this might be a good thing."

"How in the hell could this be a good thing?" Lucy snorted out.

"Because they can both let off some steam," Gajeel grunted out.

"It's sooooo romantic!" Mira cried, "They aren't just fighting for their guilds but for Lucy's heart!"

Erza just patted Lucy's back and said, "It will be ok."

"It will be a close fight," Gray stated in a monotone voice.

"Gray-sama, you don't think Laxus-san will win? Laxus-san beat Jura-san and Jura-san beat Orga-san," Juvia stated.

"Yeah, but that was months ago. Orga was the one who trained Lucy and look at her. She would have beaten Jura today if it weren't for the time limit," Gray pointed out making Natsu and Erza nod in agreement.

"Exactly," Gajeel agreed as he chewed on a nail, "Orga is a beast just like the rest of those monsters. With how he lost during the games he wouldn't have just sat on his ass for months. He would just get stronger."

Then Lucy spoke up and said, "And I never beat Orga while we were training." She did technically beat him when they were fighting Andromeda together, but she couldn't mention that since it was supposed to be a secret to most people.

Everyone watched in anticipation as Laxus and Orga faced off on the battle field. The entire arena was dead silent, because both men were equally loved amongst the fans and this fight would be one to remember. However, Lucy felt like she wanted to puke.

"BEGIN!" Chapti yelled.

A loud boom was heard and flashes of lightning struck out everywhere. Lucy had unknowingly closed her eyes and then when she popped one open she said, "Huh…"

Everyone just sweatdropped because all that could be seen was a mixture of yellow and black lightning swirling around the arena. Nobody could make out the battle or even tell that it was a battle. All anyone could see was lightning.

Then it was Natsu that said in annoyance, "I can't even tell what is happening."

Chapti was heard over the speakers, "Umm…Yajima-san…can you tell what is happening between Laxus and Orga?"

"Hmmm…no, I cannot," Yamjima replied.

Even the crowd was still silent because nobody could make out anything. Lucy just rested her head on her hands and couldn't wait for the ten minutes to be over with. Then Cana slapped Lucy's back and said, "The first round of shots will be on me tonight."


	46. Chapter 46

Lucy felt like she was going to throw up. Five minutes had already passed in Laxus's and Orga's fight and still no one could tell what was happening. Many people were sitting in their seats with their ears covered, Lucy included, because the sound of their lightning crashing against one another's was deafening. She didn't want either man to win and she didn't want either to lose. She just wanted the fight over with.

"AAHHHHHH! I WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING!" Natsu yelled next to her.

"Isn't it obvious?" Gajeel grunted as he too covered his ears when the sound of the lightning got closer to them.

Natsu looked at him quizzically when Mira cheered, "They are fighting to see who will get to impregnate Lucy first!"

Gajeel rolled his eyes and Gray replied, "I don't think that's what they are doing."

"They are Men!" Elfman cheered.

"I just wish they'd hurry the fuck up," Cana added in because the noise of their battle was interrupting her drinking.

Lucy finally started to shake from nerves before she said to Erza, "I can't watch this."

Erza nodded her head in understanding as Lucy left their seating area; however, Wendy decided to follow her because she felt bad for her friend. Sure everyone was excited to watch Orga and Laxus fight, but Lucy cared about both men and she didn't want either to be hurt or angry because of their rivalry.

When Wendy got to the hallway she could smell salt and her eyes widened when she realized that Lucy was crying. The little bluenette ran up to her friend and asked, "Lucy-san, are you ok?"

"Yeah sorry, I just hate this a lot," Lucy whispered back.

Wendy walked up and wrapped her arms around Lucy to give her a hug. The two sat down in the hall together and leaned up against the wall. They could hear the cheers and confusion of the crowd mixed with the lightning.

Then Wendy smiled at Lucy and said, "I think it will be over soon and I have a feeling that Orga and Laxus are going to surprise you."

Lucy didn't know what Wendy meant by that but she gave the girl a thankful smile before she closed her eyes and leaned her head against the wall. Only two more minutes to go.

* * *

Laxus and Orga stood on the field facing each other. The crowd was unusually quiet and the men knew they would have to talk quietly so no one would hear them.

However it was Laxus that spoke first and said, "You know that she hates this."

"Yeah, but it's not like we can just stand here facing each other the entire time," Orga admitted.

The two lightning men knew they had to come up with a solution before Chapti announced the start of the battle. Then Laxus smirked a little and said, "You could just admit defeat and let me win."

Orga snorted before he replied, "Yeah, you could do the same thing."

"Well if I let you win then Sabertooth wins and if we tie Sabertooth wins," Laxus grumbled, "But then Lucy would have to watch us fight. I'd rather lose than put her through that."

Orga arched his brow at the comment and then offered, "There is a way where we could make it so she doesn't have to watch us fight and the crowd will never know that we are not fighting. But that would mean that our fight would end in a tie and Sabertooth would win. You can live with that?"

"For Blondie?" Laxus replied, "Yeah, I can live with the fact that you guys will win this time. Next year at the Games though if we get matched up again, then I'm going to do everything I can to kick your ass."

Orga replied briskly, "Agreed. Then just morph into lightning and we will wait out the ten minutes."

Laxus nodded his head in agreement and then Chapti announced the start of the battle. The two men morphed into lightning and began to clash about the arena to confuse the crowd. Laxus couldn't believe he was throwing a fight for a girl, but after smelling her fear when it was announced that he had to fight Orga—Laxus couldn't find it in himself to want to fight. Not after the lunch he had just put her through. He just wanted her to be happy.

* * *

"TIME'S UP!" Chapti yelled and everyone held their breath to see who the winner would be.

Orga and Laxus both appeared back on the field and neither of them even looked harmed. Everyone looked confused and then Chapti announced, "It appears to be a tie! Sabertooth wins!"

Laxus and Orga both just looked at each other and then left the field as the crowd cheered wildly. Laxus tried to not look at his guild mates, because he knew that they would be confused and disappointed that he didn't win to tie the festival. Either way, it didn't matter to him as long as Lucy was ok.

He was shocked when he stepped into the hallway and saw Wendy and Lucy both sitting on the ground. The little Dragon Slayer looked up at him with a smile then said to Lucy, "I'll leave you guys to talk."

After Wendy walked away, Laxus went over and took a seat next to Lucy on the ground. She had her knees tucked up under her chin. When he leaned his head back against the wall, she whispered to him, "How bad do you guys look?"

Laxus couldn't hide his smirk when he replied, "Well I look sexy like I always do. Orga just looks like Orga."

Lucy's eyes widened and then she turned to look at him and began to examine his body for fight marks and he saw the look of confusion on her face when she saw none. He just nudged her and said, "He and I agreed to not fight for you; however, we just had to make it look like we were fighting."

"You guys didn't fight each other?" Lucy asked in disbelief.

When Laxus shook his head no, Lucy added, "But our guild lost to Sabertooth. Are you ok with that?"

"I'll be fine. I didn't like seeing you torn up—even if it was just a stupid festival. Besides it was just supposed to be for fun, not serious like the Grand Magic Games," Laxus replied.

Then before Laxus knew what was happening, Lucy had pressed her lips to his and wrapped her arms around his neck. Even though she had fought Jura earlier, he could still smell her sweet strawberry scent and he groaned when her fingers ran through his hair to deepen the kiss. Hell, tossing the fight was sure damn worth it now.

Lucy didn't know what came over her when she felt Laxus's strong hand wrap around her waist and pulled her into his lap. She didn't hold back when she wrapped her legs around his waist and he pulled her close against his chest as their tongues swirled around each other's. Lucy could feel her body start to heat up from her mind all the way to her now aching core.

However, they both froze when they heard someone clear their throat and then someone squeal in excitement. Laxus and Lucy turned to where the sounds came from and saw Cana smirking at them, Mira passed out with a blushing Wendy checking on her, and a very flustered Erza and Juvia.

Lucy realized that she was still sitting on Laxus in a very compromising position and when she tried to get up, Cana laughed, "Don't stop on our account. We were about to come ask you if you were ready for the fun to start, but it looks like you already started without us Lu."

"W-well, I-I um..W-well that is…" Lucy stammered out as she jumped up nervously.

Laxus just narrowed his eyes at Cana for ruining the moment, but Cana didn't care when she came up and threw her arm around Lucy's neck and said, "All right Luce, let's go get shitfaced."

The group of girls began to walk away from Laxus and Juvia helped Wendy with a still lightheaded Mira and Lucy shot Laxus an apologetic look. However, Cana called back to her childhood friend, "Don't worry, Laxus! If Lucy needs a booty call tonight then I'll make sure to find you."

Lucy eeped and Laxus just rolled his eyes before he went to find Bickslow and Freed. Clearly Laxus wouldn't be getting any rest while Lucy was out drunk with Cana doing god knows what.

* * *

Lucy looked down at the dress that Mira and Cana had picked out for her. Then Yukino popped up behind her to look in the mirror and said, "Lucy-san that dress looks amazing on you!"

"Indeed you look rather lovely," Erza agreed.

Lucy wasn't convinced as she examined the sleeveless skin tight black dress that left little to anyone's imagination. It was even shorter than her normal skirts and dresses and had circular cutouts running up both sides of the dress. "I d-don't know…I can't even wear underwear with this dress because of the cutouts," Lucy pointed out nervously.

"That's the point," Mira replied happily which made Yukino and Lucy both sweatdrop.

"Besides those skimpy little things you wear can barely be called underwear," Cana laughed.

"Like you're one to talk, Cana," Lucy teased back, "My boobs could fall out of this dress at any second!"

"That's not really out of the ordinary either," Cana added with an agreed nod from Erza.

Lucy just sighed and allowed Mira her fun for tonight before she grabbed her small clutch bag with her keys in them. Besides, the rest of the girls weren't dressed that much different. Erza looked amazing in a strapless red dress with a sweetheart neckline and Yukino wore a light blue sequin halter.

"All right, so where are we going?" Lucy asked Cana.

"Only to the best party place in all of Crocus," Cana smirked, "It's called Kama Sutra."

"That's the name of the establishment?" Lisanna asked a little worried as Mira laced up the back of her sister's dress.

"Yep. It has the hottest guys, the best drinks, the best music, and I know the owner," Cana replied as she grabbed Lucy's hand and said, "So let's get going!"

Lucy and Yukino looked at each other nervously. Lucy didn't really need any more guys in her life at the moment, but it was nice to have one night where she could take her mind off of everything and just party with the girls. Tonight was going to be a night to remember.

* * *

Cobra hated how early the two dumbasses brought him to Kama Sutra. Granted he had only chosen this place just to get under that mother fucker Lahar's nerves, plus he didn't want to picture Doranbolt ogling little girls. At least Cobra had until midnight. In the meantime he would sit at the bar and enjoy his temporary freedom and drink his pain away. He liked coming to clubs after being in prison so long. The music and everyone's thoughts blurring together overwhelmed him and it felt like he was making up for lost time. He supposed it was somewhat decent of the Magic Council to let him have one free night a month since he helped with the Dragon Attack.

For some reason though he thought the bar tender looked oddly familiar, but he couldn't seem to place where he knew him from. You'd think he could remember someone with that blonde of hair and tan skin. Either way it didn't matter, the bar tender only looked at him a little funny when he ordered rum mixed with bleach.

As Cobra sat at the bar, he noticed that more and more females started to trickle into the club. A few of them tried to talk to him, but he ignored them all. Sure he would like to have a quick fuck tonight, but with Lahar watching him like a hawk then he wasn't sure how he was going to pull it off.

Suddenly, the doors to the club opened and Cobra smelt the familiar scent of warm strawberries. He couldn't remember why the scent was familiar and he looked over at the door but there were too many girls to see which one it was. Then he swore under his breath when he saw Fairy Tail's insane red head. Hopefully Lahar would actually do his job and keep a fight from happening between the two.

Then Cobra's eyes darted to the bar tender when he yelled, "Cana you came!"

"Hey Shô! The brunette called back, "How about a round of jello shots for my friends! We have a blonde here in need of some fun."

Then Cobra's eyes widened when Erza asked, "Shô, what are you doing here?!"

Shô jumped over the bar and yelled, "Nee-san!"

Then it clicked in Cobra's mind on why the guy looked familiar. He was another Tower of Heaven kid. Then Cobra realized who the blonde that Cana was talking about when Lucy Heartfilia came into view. He watched as the blonde woman smiled at Shô and he vaguely heard them say something about how Shô lost a game of strip-poker to Cana and that's how they became friends. However, Cobra didn't care about any of that. All he was focused on was the bubbly blonde that everyone loved and how unbelievably sexy she looked in that skimpy dress. Cobra had caught glimpse of people's minds earlier that day when he first got out and all of them were about Lucy and how she nearly defeated Jura.

He smirked as he tossed back the last bit of his third drink and thought about how he might get lucky tonight after all.

* * *

"Ready?" Cana smirked at Lucy.

"Ready," Lucy smiled back before they tossed back their jello shots.

Levy started to choke a little, but Lucy said, "Cana those are dangerous! Those taste way too good."

"I know and they will trash you if you aren't careful and for now we just need to get you nice and buzzed!" Cana laughed loudly because she however was already drunk.

Lucy wasn't sure why the girls wanted to come so early. It was still almost three hours away until clubs really got started, but then Cana asked Shô, "Is our entertainment here yet?"

Shô handed Lucy a Fuzzy Navel with a sexy grin and replied, "They are back stage getting ready."

"Who is that?" Lucy asked Cana.

"You'll see! Let's go get a good seat though!" Cana yelled then smiled back at Shô, "Keep those drinks coming sexy!"

"Anything for you, Babe," Shô replied with a wink.

Lucy took a seat next to Cana and Yukino and Lucy noticed that tons of girls from the other guilds were there. Millianna had just gotten there and was now happily talking with Shô and Erza. Sherry and Chelia had both arrived too and were visiting with Wendy and Juvia.

The lights suddenly got even lower and Mira appeared on the other side of Cana and began to laugh mischievously. Lucy looked at the usually sweet barmaid because something was clearly up. Then Lucy was pushed away from Cana and Bacchus jumped in-between the two girls.

"Oh Bacchus you made it!" Cana smirked at him and the two clinked their glasses together.

"Like I'd miss a party hosted by someone who can drink as much as me," Bacchus laughed.

Lucy peeked her head around Bacchus and nearly smacked the man when he wrapped his arms behind Lucy's and Cana's chair. However, Lucy ignored the drunken man for a second and looked at Cana with an annoyed look and asked, "I thought you didn't invite any guys?"

"I didn't," Cana replied honestly with a wink.

"I did!" Mira said excitedly, "Operation Drunk Lucy can now begin!"

Lucy's mouth fell open and then Bacchus grinned at her, "Those were some pretty feisty moves out here today, Big Tits."

"Don't call me that," Lucy snapped at him.

"Sorry," Bacchus said after he ordered them all more drinks, "It was supposed to be a compliment because you looked sexy as hell while fighting, but I like your look now a lot more."

Lucy just rolled her eyes and then Bacchus handed her a drink and asked, "Forgive me?"

She just snorted, but everyone was having a great time so she clinked her shot glass against his and replied, "You're crazy."

"Nah Babe, just wild," he replied sexily.

Lucy heard the other men of Quatro Cerebus yell, "Four!" from somewhere in the club but she didn't care. Bacchus and Cana together were actually a lot of fun and Lucy found herself holding her side because the two were making her laugh her ass off. Then everyone got quiet when the music got turned up and the bass started bumping.

Then Shô came over the system and said, "Ladies and Gentleman, well mostly the sexy female mages of Fiore, I give you—The Trimens!"

The girls around Lucy began to cheer when Hibiki, Ren, and Eve appeared on the stage. However, Lucy just began to laugh harder because of the alcohol in her system and because they were all dressed like Rune Knights as they began to dance and strip to the music. Tonight was already amazing.

* * *

The men of Fairy Tail were all sitting in the Honey Bone Inn. They all seemed to be in a foul mood once they found out that they had not been invited to the party that the girls of their own guild were hosting. All Laxus could think about was his kiss from earlier and how sweet Lucy's lips tasted. He wished he could have seen what she was wearing before they all left, because apparently it was so good that it gave Gajeel a nosebleed.

Laxus popped one eye open though when Natsu jumped up onto a table and burst into flames as he yelled, "AAHHHHHH! I SAY WE JUST GO TO THIS KARMA SALT PLACE!"

Gray just sighed and said, "It's called Kama Sutra, Dumb Ass."

"You wanna go, Ice Princess?!" Natsu yelled back.

However, before a fight could break out, the Honey Bone Inn's owner walked up to Elfman and said, "Excuse me sir, but your eldest sister requested that I hand this to you at 9 p.m. exactly."

Natsu calmed down and everyone looked at Elfman who carefully opened the letter from Mira. A little image of Mira appeared from the letter and she said happily, "Hi Everyone, I would like you to join us at the club tonight as soon as you are able. See you soon! Also, Elfman make sure to bring Freed because I want to dance with him tonight and then bang my brains out."

Elman shot a blushing Freed a glare, whereas the rest of the men all sweatdropped at Mira's bluntness. Macao however wanted to strangle Freed for being the one to see Mira naked. Then Natsu grabbed Gray and the two ran up the stairs to change. The men had suddenly found their happiness again as they went to go meet up with the girls.

Bickslow slapped Laxus on the back and said, "Good luck tonight, man."

"What do you mean?" Laxus asked.

"From what Lisanna told me…Cosplayer is a  _very_  friendly drunk," Bickslow grinned then began to crack up as he dragged Freed up the stairs so that they could all change.

Laxus thought about that for a minute then wondered if Sabertooth would also get invited before he grumbled, "Shit."

* * *

Orga had just finished a beer and Rogue and Rufus were both reading next to him. The guild was unusually quiet and he wasn't sure why, because it wasn't like Sabertooth had that many women as members. Sting however was pacing around. The young master had been ecstatic that Sabertooth had beaten Fairy Tail today; however, once Yukino left to go meet up with the girls from Fairy Tail—Sting began to sulk again.

"I'm so bored," Sting groaned as he hit his head against a table.

None of the other men said anything back to him then Sting looked at Rogue and asked, "Aren't you worried about Yukino being out there and looking sexy!?"

"No, I trust her. Besides the only person dumb enough to hit on her is now complaining that he is bored," Rogue replied as he turned a page in his book.

Sting shot Rogue and annoyed look before he turned his gaze to Orga and asked, "What about Blondie?!"

"Well, we aren't a couple," Orga admitted.

"SO!?" Sting yelled.

Then before Sting could ask them more pointless questions, the owner of the inn that they were staying at walked up and handed Sting a letter and said, "I was asked to deliver this to you from a Mirajane Strauss at exactly 9 p.m."

Sting thanked the man and the interruption actually got all of the other males' attention. Sting ripped open the letter and a figure of Mira appeared before them and said, "Master Sting, I would like to invite you and your fellow male guild mates to the party being hosted tonight by Cana Alaberona at Kama Sutra. See you soon!"

Sting didn't say anything as he practically ran out of the inn to head towards the place where all the girls were. Rogue and Rufus both sighed as they closed their books and started to make their way out of the inn too. Then for some reason Orga remembered when he and Lucy first started heading to Samui Yama and how that medicine made her act drunk. "Shit," was all Orga grumbled out and he decided that maybe going to the club tonight was a good idea after all, because who knows what asshat would try to hit on Lucy.

* * *

Lucy was drunk and it was blissful. She and Yukino had danced together and then every time she ran out of something to drink, Cana, Bacchus, or Shô was there to hand her another one. However, Lucy needed to catch her breath as she went to the bar and took a seat on one of the stools. She felt so happy and the world felt great, even though it was a little wobbly at the moment.

Then she looked at the man sitting next to her and gave him a big smile and yelled, "TOXIC MAN!"

Cobra choked on his drink. He had been watching the blonde almost the whole night. He loved her laugh and loved watching how her body moved on the dance floor. He just gave her a smirk at her new nickname for him and replied, "Hey Fairy."

She threw her arms around his neck, much to his surprise, and said, "I used to hate you because you did bad things to me and my friends, but then you helped us with the dragons. You are such a sweet man."

Cobra chuckled a little and replied, "And you are one trashed girl."

"Yep!" Lucy agreed.

Cobra was curious as to how far he could go when he reached his hand up and cupped her face and said, "You are one very sexy girl too."

Lucy's face turned even redder than what the alcohol had already done to it when Lahar appeared in-between them and said, "Cobra, please do not aggravate anyone from Fairy Tail. We don't need the establishment burnt to the ground because you hit on their most cherished member."

"Well if it isn't Captain Stick Ass," Lucy laughed out, making Cobra laugh with her. The Poison Dragon Slayer was very thankful that tonight out of all nights was when he was allowed a free visit to the regular world.

"Ms. Heartfilia, I am afraid you are quite inebriated at the moment; however, please call me Captain Lahar."

"C-Captain Lahardass," Lucy slurred out before she jumped up.

Cobra watched as Lucy's breasts bounced beautifully, but then she grabbed the Captain and said, "Dance with me Stick Ass."

Lahar looked taken aback and said, "I will do no such thing."

A deep pout appeared on Lucy's face before she asked, "Do I need to go get Erza to make you dance with me? She's even a more violent drunk."

However, Cobra knew that Lahar was so stubborn that Erza would probably end up destroying the place. He hopped off the bar stool and pushed Lahar out of the way before he grabbed Lucy's hand and said, "Come dance with me."

"YAYYY!" Lucy cheered as Cobra took her to the dance floor. He smiled to himself, because he had caught glimpses of Lahar's mind and the Captain did indeed find the blonde woman beautiful. So much so that the Captain was picturing her tied up in his bed—the kinky bastard.

Cobra just might get lucky tonight after all as he wrapped his hands around Lucy's waist and they began to dance to the music.

* * *

The men of Fairy Tail and Sabertooth were all standing outside of Kama Sutra and Laxus and Orga were staring each other down. They both just wanted to get inside to make sure Lucy was ok, so they followed an overly excited Natsu and Sting inside.

Orga's and Laxus's eyes both widened when Sting mumbled, "Holy shit, what the hell is this place?"

Laxus noticed that there were already several males from the other guilds already there and completely drunk off their asses. Glitter was everywhere and then he heard Natsu say, "Shit Gray! It's Drunk Lucy and Drunk Erza! We need to get out of here."

Orga stiffened next to Laxus and Bickslow just started laughing harder before he went to find Lisanna. Then Laxus's eyes widened when people started chanting, "Shot! Shot! Shot! Shot!"

The crowd parted a little and Laxus and Orga saw Lucy with that goddamn Poison Dragon Slayer as they both did a shot off of other people. Lucy off of Bacchus and Cobra off of Cana. Then when Lucy hopped up she yelled, "NYYYYAAAAAAAAAA!"

Gray and Natsu both paled then Lucy's big brown eyes found Natsu and yelled, "NATSU! BE A KITTY FOR ME AGAIN!"

"Luce! I'm not a cat!" Natsu cried back as Lucy began to drag him towards Millianna.

"MILLIANNA! SHOW NATSU HOW TO PURR!" Lucy cheered.

Millianna then threw herself around Natsu and began to rub her face against him like a cat while she purred excitedly. Lucy just began to jump up and down and Laxus groaned because Lucy's tits were practically about to fall out of her dress.

The two Lightning Men were both equally annoyed then when Cobra came up behind Lucy and said, "Let's dance again."

Cobra began to lead Lucy towards the dance floor where everyone was grinding up against each other. Laxus and Orga both instinctively went towards Lucy on the dance floor and then Cobra saw them approach. He grinned at both of them, then Lucy turned around to see what Cobra was looking at.

Both men stopped dead in their tracks when she narrowed her eyes at them and then she tilted her head to the side like she was trying to figure something out. Then a wide smile appeared on her face as she cheered, "OR-CHAN AND LA-CHAN ARE HERE!"

"YAYYYYYYYY!" Mira yelled in excitement from somewhere as Lucy lunged towards both men.

Orga and Laxus both caught the drunk girl who fell into their arms. Then she looked up at them with such an innocent face and said, "You are both so pretty."

"Thanks Blondie," Laxus grumbled as he shot Cobra a threatening glare to back off.

Cobra just smirked and then walked up behind Lucy. Orga was ready to fry the new Dragon Slayer to a crisp when Levy jumped out from behind Cobra and cackled, "I think Cobra and Lucy should fuck. That's who I ship now!"

Then Mira popped up from behind both men, making both of them swear, and said, "CoLu Babies! AHHHHHHHHHHHH! Kiss her Cobra! I have to see how much passion you have."

Lucy looked confused but then Cobra smirked at the two lightning men and wrapped his arm around Lucy's waist and pulled her back towards him. Mira was nearly choking Freed in the excitement of everything, but then Bacchus appeared and said, "I think I should get to kiss her first!"

"So many men! So little time, Lucy!" Mira cheered.

Orga and Laxus were just about to take Cobra out when Captain Lahar walked up and said, "Cobra, it's time to go back."

The Poison Dragon Slayer smirked at Laxus and Orga and said, "We will finish this another time, Fairy."

Lucy didn't even seem to know what was happening when she called towards a leaving Captain Lahar, Cobra, and Doranbolt, "Bye Toxic Man! Bye-bye Captain Lahardass!"

Then before something else could happen, Shô announced, "It's sushi time!"

"Thank god I'm starving!" Cana cheered as several club workers started placing platters of sushi everywhere.

Sting looked confused as hell when he asked, "What kind of club serves sushi randomly?"

Laxus and Orga both cringed when a sword flew across the room and hit the bar right next to where Sting was standing. A very drunk Erza yelled, "The kind that serves me food when I'm hungry!"

"Yayy! Erza's hungry!" Lucy cheered as she grabbed both Orga's and Laxus's hand and led them over to their table with Cana, Bacchus, Yukino and now Rogue.

Orga glanced over his shoulder and saw that Erza had Sting in a collar and was going to force him to be her slave for the night. These people were all bat shit crazy. Then when they sat down at the table, Bacchus poured them all a drink. Normally Orga and Laxus wouldn't mind a drink, but clearly they needed to stay on their toes with a squirming and seemingly horny Lucy next to them.

Cana smirked at the men after she plopped a piece of sushi in her mouth and said, "Let's play a game."

"I love games!" Lucy said excitedly.

"I don't think that's a good idea," Laxus grumbled towards his childhood friend.

"Hey, you might get the chance to kiss Lucy again like you did earlier today," Cana said with a wink.

Laxus could see Orga's eyes on him and Lucy just slipped both of her arms through theirs before she let out a sigh and said, "Yukino, aren't they so cute!?"

Orga watched as Rogue tried to hold back his amusement and Yukino replied, "A Lucy sandwich with Lightning Bread!"

Lucy nodded her head in agreement then Cana asked Lucy, "So Lucy, which man did you kiss first?"

"Or-chan," Lucy replied instantly, "We were on the mountain and it was right before…Oh I can't talk about that because it's a secret!"

Now it was Laxus's turn to scowl at Orga. However, Bacchus realized what Cana was trying to do when he asked, "Have you seen either of them naked?"

"Not yet," Lucy replied sadly.

Orga and Laxus both let out a sigh of relief at the news, but then Yukino asked, "Lucy, which one has better hair?"

"Hmmmm…I looooooooooove Or-chan's minty hair but he wouldn't let me taste him before. Then La-chan's is sooooooo amazing because look at how pointy it is!"

"So tasting Orga is something you want to do?" Rogue asked with an amused expression. The Shadow Dragon Slayer loved seeing how nervous Orga was, because he was usually always so put together.

"Definitely," Lucy replied after she plopped a piece of sushi in her mouth.

Orga tried not to groan whereas Laxus tried not to let out a growl, but then Cana asked, "Do you want to taste Laxus too?"

"Sure, but he is usually even grumpier than Or-Chan so he'd probably say no to letting me taste him too," Lucy replied sadly.

"Nah," Cana smirked, "I think they'd both let you. You just have to ask them in a different way."

Orga and Laxus both narrowed their eyes at the brunette, but Lucy excitedly asked, "Really?! How?!"

Bacchus leaned over to her and he said, "Get on your knees and put your face by their dick. Then tell them how badly you want to taste them."

"Oh ok!" Lucy replied as she moved her seat back in an attempt to try it.

"Shit," Orga mumbled and tried to grab Lucy to sit her back down.

"Cana," Laxus growled out as he helped the other lightning mage with the drunk blonde.

Cana just smirked evilly at them before she called out, "Hey Mira! Laxus and Orga won't let Lucy taste them!"

Mira turned around from her table and she looked happier than Laxus had ever seen her. She was completely terrifying. The white haired mage then looked at Lucy and asked, "Maybe they won't let you taste them, because they'd rather taste you first."

Laxus and Orga knew that this was getting way out of hand then Lucy asked innocently, "You think they'd want to taste me?"

"Hell yes they do," Bacchus said with an amused tone, "Damn, I want to taste you."

"Which one should go first?" Mira squealed.

An equally drunk Yukino stated, "Well Orga did get to kiss her first, so he should taste Lucy first too."

"But I think if Orga got to kiss her first, then Laxus should get the first lick," Cana stated with a wink.

"Why can't they do it at the same time?" Lucy asked confused.

Mira fell out of her chair at the innocent statement and Cana and Bacchus just started laughing harder. Neither Laxus nor Orga were having a good time. They had no idea at what Lucy would try to do next or what she'd say.

"Well, it's a good thing you aren't wearing any panties tonight. Laxus and Orga will have a much easier time trying to taste you," Bacchus laughed out.

Laxus and Orga both tried to stay calm. They had been so worried about getting Lucy away from Cobra that they had barely even registered what she was wearing. Tonight was going to be long and painful.

* * *

It was nearly 3 a.m. and the party was still going strong and unfortunately for Laxus and Orga, Lucy was getting hornier by the second. As much as the two hated to admit it, they had to get her out of here together. The amount of men that they had to scare off that night was astounding. Even though Lucy was more than capable of defending herself while she was sober, she was not capable of doing it drunk off her ass.

"We need to get her out of here," Orga grumbled to Laxus.

"You aren't staying with her alone," Laxus snapped back.

"I wasn't planning on it. She'll get more turned on if we get one on one with her," Orga shot back, "I wouldn't take advantage of her like that."

Laxus snorted and asked, "Is your guys' inn closer or ours?"

"Ours is, I think," Orga replied as he pushed a drunk Eve away from Lucy.

"Let's go," Laxus said as he grabbed one of Lucy's hands and Orga grabbed the other.

Lucy looked back and forth at them before she started to sniffle and asked, "Am I in trouble?"

The two men let out a sigh of relief once they were outside in the crisp night air. The amount of sweaty bodies and drunk people were nearly enough to make them gag at this point.

However, it was Orga that replied, "You aren't in trouble, Tiny. We are just taking you with us."

"For punishment?" Lucy smirked at him, making him blush in the process.

"God she has a dirty mind when she's drunk," Laxus grumbled.

Orga just nodded in agreement as the two men tried to keep ahold of Lucy's hands. They were finding it difficult because she had gotten exceptionally strong and she kept trying to wiggle free of their grasp and kept saying innocent things that were oddly too sexual.

* * *

When they finally got to Sabertooth's Inn, Orga was thankful that everyone was asleep or still at the club. However, Laxus ended up having to pick Lucy up because her exhaustion from the day, plus all of the alcohol that she had in her system, was finally starting to get to her.

Once they entered Orga's room, Lucy started to giggle and said, "We should all sleep together."

"No," both men said in unison.

"But what if I get cold?" Lucy asked with her bottom lip stuck out before she ran her tongue up Laxus's neck.

"Shit," Laxus grumbled.

Orga shot the man a glare and said, "Don't let her do that."

"Stop being jealous," Laxus retorted with a smug smirk, but then his face got deadly serious when Lucy began to nibble on his ear.

Laxus quickly sat Lucy down on the bed and she seductively crossed her legs and looked at both of them and asked, "So which one of you gets to undress me and who's going to shower with me?"

"We aren't going to survive this," Laxus said to Orga as Lucy began to bite her lip.

"Shit we are going to need help," Orga stated as he grabbed Lucy's clutch bag.

"What are you doing?" Laxus asked as he tried to hold Lucy's arms down by her sides, because she had already tried to take off her dress.

Orga held up Lucy's keys and replied, "Getting help."

"You think they'll come out?" Laxus asked in disbelief.

Orga found Virgo's key and prayed to every god that he knew that she would hear what he was asking her as he held onto the key. Then to his relief, the Maid Spirit appeared with an amused expression.

"I'm sorry for calling you out after your battle today," Orga stated, "But we need your help, Virgo."

Laxus watched as Virgo gave Orga a sweet smile before she looked at Lucy and said, "I can see that."

"Virgo!" Lucy yelled before tears filled her eyes and she added, "I don't think they want to see me naked."

Both men audibly groaned and Virgo got a mischievous look in her eyes before she replied, "Hime-sama, both men want to see you naked; however, they don't want the other man to see you naked."

"Really?" Lucy asked in disbelief.

"Indeed, both men want to punish you," Virgo said with a wink, making Lucy smile in happiness.

"Yay!" Lucy cheered but then she got sad again and asked, "So you think they like my dress tonight? Because neither of them complimented me. Lots of other men did, but not them."

Virgo just smiled and replied, "They were more worried about keeping other men from taking advantage of you, because you look so sexy tonight."

"Oh ok," Lucy replied with a smile.

Virgo felt sorry for the two men, just a little bit, so she quickly took Lucy into Orga's bathroom to help her very drunk friend. Laxus and Orga both sighed in relief once the door was closed and locked. Both men took a seat in the chairs in the room before Laxus asked, "How did you know that she would come?"

"Who?" Orga asked as he leaned his head back against the wall.

"Virgo," Laxus replied.

Orga just shrugged his shoulders and answered, "Because Virgo loves Lucy and she's my friend. I sure as hell wasn't going to call out Loke."

Laxus couldn't help but smirk at Orga's last comment before he said, "Just because we are helping her tonight, it doesn't mean anything has changed between us. I still hate you."

"And the feeling is still mutual," Orga replied.

* * *

Orga felt bad because Virgo was having a difficult time at keeping Lucy from coming out of the bathroom naked. Then Laxus and Orga carefully opened their eyes when Virgo escorted a fully clothed Lucy out of the bathroom; however, the little blonde had her bottom lip stuck out.

Virgo just smiled at Orga and bowed before she said, "Good luck."

"Thanks for your help Virgo," Orga replied just before Lucy jumped into his lap.

Virgo disappeared into the Celestial Realm and Orga tried to get Lucy onto his bed. Laxus was actually impressed at how well Orga seemed to handle Lucy. Then Lucy asked sadly, "You guys are going to sleep next to me right?"

Both men narrowed their eyes at each other but did as the little blonde asked. Lucy got under the blankets and was giggling because she was so excited. They knew that she was going to be trashed tomorrow.

Orga looked at Laxus and said, "We are going to have to trap her in the blanket, because she will keep coming at us."

Laxus arched his brow then it dawned on him how Orga knew that. Then he looked at Orga and asked, "That night she called me before you guys went to the mountain, is this what she was like?"

Both men ignored Lucy's protests as they wrapped her up in the sheet like a burrito before Orga replied, "Yes."

"And you didn't do anything to her?" Laxus asked in shock.

"I wasn't going to take advantage of her," Orga replied in an annoyed tone.

"A lot of guys would have," Laxus stated.

"I'm not a lot of guys," Orga said with a sigh as he sat down next to Lucy.

Laxus sat on the other side of Lucy and they were both thankful that she was already falling asleep. Then Lucy rolled a little onto her side and leaned her head against Orga's arm.

Then Laxus added, "Thanks for taking care of her, I guess."

Orga didn't say anything back, because Lucy starting giggling in her sleep and then she murmured out, "Anal beads."

Orga arched his brow at Laxus who was shaking his head and with a heavy sigh he said, "Believe me, you don't want to know."


	47. Chapter 47

Laxus and Orga barely slept because neither one of them were comfortable with the other in the room. Plus, it didn't help that Lucy nearly puked on them. They were both thankful that they had lightning reflexes when Laxus grabbed Lucy to get her out of the blankets and Orga grabbed a trash can.

"Look away," Lucy cried between upchucking.

The two men just sighed before Orga said, "I'm pretty sure you have alcohol poisoning, Tiny."

Lucy just started to sob as she hung onto the trash can, then Laxus asked, "What the hell were you thinking, drinking that much?"

Lucy began to cry harder and Orga shot Laxus a  _'What the Hell?_ ' look. Then Laxus grumbled, "Sorry."

"I don't know," Lucy pathetically started crying harder, "I was just having so much fun and Cana and Bacchus kept having me try all these new drinks that tasted good at the time. I was just so stressed."

Orga and Laxus looked at each other, because they knew why Lucy was probably stressed. Then Orga took a deep breath and said, "We're sorry."

Lucy just shook her head before she started to puke again. Then Orga looked at Laxus and asked, "Can you sit by her until I get back with some water?"

Laxus just nodded and sat by Lucy as Orga left the room. Then he chuckled when Lucy said again, "Don't look."

"Please, this isn't anything I haven't seen before. Plus, your way cuter than Bickslow puking," Laxus teased.

Lucy let out a pained chuckle before she puked more. Then between sobs she said, "Sorry if I was a handful."

Laxus just shrugged and said, "I'm just glad I got there when I did. You were turning on too many men."

"What?" Lucy asked in disbelief.

"Cobra, Eve, and Bacchus. Hell, you even had Captain Lahar flustered," Laxus snorted, "Are two Slayers not enough for you? You have to have three and then some more?"

"Shut up," Lucy teased.

Laxus couldn't help but laugh, but then he got deadly serious when he said, "I think I see why you like that wannabe Lightning Dragon Slayer so much now."

Lucy turned her head a little to see Laxus's face before he added, "Everything he did last night was because he cared about you. Plus, you were able to pretty much kick Jura's ass because he was the one who trained you and believed in you."

She didn't know what to say. She felt even worse that Laxus and Orga took care of her last night together. Especially when they hated each other. Then before anything else could be said, Orga came back into the room with some ice and water.

Laxus looked at Orga and asked, "Can you watch over her? I'm going to head back to our inn so her team doesn't burn or freeze Crocus to the ground because they think she's been kidnapped."

Orga just nodded and Lucy's heart hurt for Laxus when she said, "Thank you for helping, Laxus."

"Any time, Blondie. See you tonight," Laxus replied sincerely before he grabbed his coat and left.

Orga took a seat next to Lucy and handed her the bottle of water and said, "You just take a few sips at first, otherwise you'll puke that up too. If that doesn't work then I brought some ice-cubes for you to try."

Lucy thanked him and took the water after he opened the lid for her. Then Orga added, "I want to apologize to you for fighting with Laxus yesterday. It was petty and I never want you to get so stressed out because of something I did."

She couldn't help but smile when she replied, "Consider us even since I almost puked on you and apparently tried to taste you again last night."

Orga let out his booming laugh that always made Lucy's heart happy before he stated in a husky tone, "Cana and Bacchus weren't wrong. I'd gladly let you taste me, but how about you ask me when you aren't drunk off your ass or drugged up."

Lucy's face turned bright red and she felt like she was going to pass out from light headedness; however, instead of that she just puked a little more to which Orga joked, "I'll try not to take offense to your reaction."

"Baka," Lucy whispered out as Orga rubbed her back and let her puke her guts out.

* * *

Lucy opened her eyes and found herself sleeping on Orga's muscular chest. She had no idea what time it was, because the curtains were closed to block out the sun. She was just thankful that she didn't feel like puking anymore, even though she still didn't feel all that great.

She looked up to see him sleeping still and she smiled faintly because she missed small moments like this with him. Just peace and no stress. However, Lucy knew that she definitely needed a shower, because all Virgo could get her to do was change her clothes last night.

Lucy carefully pulled herself away from Orga before she grabbed Virgo's key and headed to the bathroom. The Maid Spirit instantly came out once the door was shut and Lucy said, "Thanks for helping last night Virgo. I'm sorry I gave you a handful, but you really didn't have to come out. Especially after our battle yesterday."

"Well it was fun watching Orga and Laxus help you, but I couldn't turn down my favorite Lightning Mage's plea for help," Virgo said with a mischievous smile.

Lucy blinked a few times then asked, "W-what do you mean?"

"Orga, he got my key and I could hear him asking me for my help," Virgo admitted with a smile.

"I don't remember that," Lucy whispered out as her mind thought of a hundred different things at once. Her heart felt like it did a flip that Orga knew exactly who to call out for help. Then Lucy asked Virgo, "Virgo, what do you think about Orga?"

Virgo's eyes shone with amusement before she replied, "Big Brother has forbidden us to talk about your love triangle."

Lucy's mouth fell open in shock and asked, "What for!?"

"He says you need to figure this one out for yourself," Virgo replied as she handed Lucy some new clothes and toiletries.

Lucy just sighed as she thought about both men before she admitted to Virgo, "But I don't know what to do."

Virgo smiled gently and replied, "It's ok. I think you will soon."

"How can you be sure?" Lucy asked in disbelief.

Virgo just winked and disappeared back into the Celestial Realm. Lucy just sighed and shook her head at everything. She needed to shower fast though, because she was starting to feel sick to her stomach again.

As she let the water cascade down on her, all Lucy could think about were her two Lightning Men. How amazing they were last night really made up for their caveman attitudes at lunch yesterday, but she felt terrible. She had a feeling Virgo was right and that meant that soon she would know what she wanted and soon she would hurt either Orga or Laxus and she hated the thought of that.

* * *

After Lucy had finished showering, she combed out her hair and put on the leggings and oversized sweatshirt that Virgo had left for her. She also noticed that there was an outfit for tonight's banquet as well. Then she quickly brushed her teeth before she went out to see that Orga was now awake and rubbing his head.

"Hey," Lucy said to him with a smile.

"Hey yourself," Orga replied with a yawn, "You look cute."

Lucy started blushing, which made Orga smile in amusement. Then Lucy asked, "Did I wake you?"

"No, Sting woke me because he is obnoxious and apparently he just got back from spending the night with Erza," Orga laughed.

"What?!" Lucy asked in shock as she sat down on the bed next to Orga.

"Not like that," Orga clarified, "I guess Erza really did have Sting act like her slave. She made him polish all of her swords."

"And he did it?!" Lucy asked in disbelief.

"Well Erza can be scary in a normal setting. Last night she was terrifying," Orga replied.

Lucy just laughed as she snuggled up next to Orga and said, "Well Erza can be a big softie too. If you are on her good side."

Orga smirked as he wrapped his arm around her and said, "I think you get on a lot of gruff people's good side."

"True," Lucy smiled up at him.

However, Lucy's smile left her face when she saw the serious expression on Orga's. His eyes were mesmerizing and she loved the little flecks of lightning that she could see in them. She felt her desire for him grow when his hand cupped her face and she reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into slow and passionate kiss. Her stomach was doing flips as Orga's muscular hands roamed down her sides. Their kiss was unlike any of the other ones; it was slow and full of want and need. His lips were calling to every fiber of her being and she never wanted it to stop.

Then Lucy wanted to let out her own feral growl when Orga pulled away, leaving her with a lot of pent up frustration before he said huskily, "Tiny, we need to slow down because this is getting painful."

"Why do you have to be so good all the time?" Lucy teased.

He couldn't help but laugh before he kissed her nose and answered, "Because you are worth it."

"What if one day though I don't want you to hold back?" Lucy asked breathily as her heart began to beat so loud that she could barely think.

Orga's eyes met hers and he replied in a serious tone, "They day you tell me not to hold back is the day that you will be mine forever. Remember that."

Lucy began to blush violently, but she felt happy knowing that he was incredibly serious about her and about them. Then she blinked before she remembered yesterday's lunch and asked, "Wasn't there something you wanted to tell me about Minerva?"

Orga's face grew serious and Lucy leaned against his chest. His scent calmed her and even though she knew that he was probably going to tell her something pretty bad, she knew that they would be ok.

Then Orga took a deep breath and admitted, "The night that you got into Crocus and after I came back here after seeing you, Minerva was waiting for me in my room."

Lucy's eyes widened in shock when she asked, "Did you not smell her?"

Orga shook his head no before he replied, "She had put up some runes somehow, because she knew that Sting or Rogue would find her here before I did."

"W-what did she want?" Lucy asked nervously.

"Basically…me," Orga answered grimly.

"What did you do?" Lucy whispered.

"Told her to leave obviously. Then she more or less threatened you, because she's pretty pissed about us," Orga admitted as he leaned his head back against the headboard of the bed.

"Do you think she will try something?" Lucy asked because she was more worried about Orga than herself.

Orga shrugged his shoulders and said, "That'd be pretty stupid of her, especially since all of Sabertooth is now keeping an eye out for her."

Lucy just nodded before she asked, "Are you ok though?"

Orga looked down and saw Lucy's concerned face staring back up at him. He couldn't help but give her a faint smile before he replied, "I'll be fine. I'm just sorry that my past came back to haunt us like this."

Lucy wrapped her arms around his waist and gave him a gentle hug before she said, "It's not your fault. What's past is past."

"You are too good sometimes you know that?" Orga teased as he hugged Lucy back.

Lucy just smiled and mimicked him when she leaned up and gave him a kiss on the nose, which made him chuckle at her antics. Then in a more serious voice he asked, "There is something else I wanted to ask you."

"What's that?" Lucy asked with a smile.

"Well, I realized that we have never officially done it and I know you haven't made a decision yet; however, I was wondering if you would let me take you on a date next week," Orga replied with a grin because Lucy's face had turned bright red again.

"A d-date?" Lucy whispered out in shock.

"Well we have kind of had one before thanks to Mr. Yamagata," Orga laughed, "But this time, I want to plan it."

Lucy remembered their last night on the mountain well, because it was one of her happiest memories with Orga. She looked up at him and replied, "I'd love to go on a date with you."

"How about in three days I come to Magnolia and surprise you?" Orga asked as he leaned his face down closer towards Lucy's.

"That sounds great," Lucy replied breathily before Orga's lips gently pressed against hers once more.

* * *

After a few hours, Lucy and Orga got ready to go to the banquet. She quickly gave him a kiss on the cheek before she went to find her team and she promised to speak with him again before they departed from Crocus tomorrow morning. Lucy felt giddy almost about how everything had turned out. Not only had she proven to everyone just how strong she was, but Laxus and Orga had both put aside their differences to make her feel more at ease. Either way, the decision to choose one man would be tough.

Lucy saw her team waving her over and saw that Laxus, the Raijinshu, and the Strauss siblings were all sitting together. Natsu beamed at her and motioned for her to sit in-between him and Laxus. She gave Laxus a warm smile that made him gently smile back at her before he asked, "So how are you feeling?"

"Better than earlier. I don't feel like puking everywhere anymore," Lucy laughed back.

Laxus snorted and replied, "Well that's good to hear. It's a good thing we got you out when we did. Apparently everyone was completely trashed by dawn and most of the guild had spent the whole day puking. You would have been miserable if you would have been at our inn."

"So I could have been even worse?" Lucy asked in shock.

"Apparently, too many people were trying to go as hard as Cana and Bacchus and that's a dangerous game to play," Laxus stated flatly.

"I had a lot of fun last night," Erza spoke up, "Besides all of my armor and weapons look great today."

"Yeah because you made poor Sting polish everything three times," Gray chuckled out.

Then before anything else could be said, the King of Crocus began his speech and presented Sabertooth with the First Annual Fall Festival Cup. Everyone clapped and cheered as the King presented Sting with the trophy and Laxus just rolled his eyes which made Lucy giggle. Normally the young guild master would have rubbed it into Fairy Tail's faces that they lost; however, Erza had pulled out a small shiny dagger to cut her cake with. The young master audibly gulped when he saw the small blade and just went to take his seat, because he did not want to piss off the mighty Titania again.

Then much to everyone's surprise, Master Makarov got up on the stage next to the King and cleared his throat. Everyone got silent when Master Makarov stated, "Well, it's that time of year again when Fairy Tail announces who will be in competition for our annual S-Class exams."

Lucy's smile vanished and she turned to look at Laxus who gave her a wink. Natsu was practically jumping up and down in his seat when Master Makarov continued, "As per request of the King and the other guild masters here, Fairy Tail promises to stay in touch throughout the entire process so that Fiore doesn't lose us again for another seven years."

The other guilds started to laugh and Fairy Tail felt touched that everyone was concerned about them disappearing again. Lucy looked over towards Sabertooth just as Orga looked over at her and gave her a faint smile. Then Master Makarov added, "So now I am going to announce who from Fairy Tail will be in the running to become S-Class mages, because this year more than one person can receive the title. There will be four girls and four guys. Your partner will be chosen for you at random with a member of the opposite sex. One week from now, you and your partner will leave Magnolia to train alone for an entire month and with no contact from the outside world before we depart from Hargeon Port."

Lucy eeped when Natsu threw his arm around her neck because he was so excited that he could hardly stand it. Master Makarov cleared his throat again and stated, "Now let's see the S-Class contenders."

Everyone watched in anticipation as a lacrima screen lit up and began to spin, just like it had during the Fall Festival. Lucy could feel her heart pounding and tried to push Natsu away because his body heat was overwhelming her. Then she couldn't help but crack up when she saw the first paired teammates when Makarov announced, "The first set of partners are Cana Alberona and Gajeel Redfox!"

"Wohoo!" Cana cheered as she jumped down into Gajeel's lap.

"Oi, get off of me you drunk!" Gajeel growled out.

"This is going to be so much fun," Cana winked at him, "Let's see how well your steel rod can hold up for an entire month with just me."

Lucy's and Erza's faces turned bright red at Cana's bold statement towards Gajeel and the poor Iron Dragon Slayer even looked flustered. Lucy felt a little bad for Levy, since the little bluenette had a crush on Gajeel; however, the bluenette also had Jet who seemed to be entertaining her at the moment. Either way, Lucy thought that Gajeel and Cana could either be a terrible matchup because of their abrasive personalities, or a terrible matchup to go against because of their desire to not lose.

Then everyone turned their attention to Master Makarov as he announced the second pairing, "Juvia Lockser and Freed Justine!"

"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Juvia screamed out as she bit her dress, "Juvia wanted to be with Gray-sama!"

Laxus just patted Freed's back sympathetically because the poor Rune Mage wasn't good at handling emotions and Juvia was more or less a loose cannon. However, Juvia straightened up when Gray pointed to her and said, "If we get matched up against each other to fight, then you better help Freed win and don't hold back."

Lucy just sweatdropped when Juvia blushed and yelled, "Anything for you Gray-sama!"

Everyone's conversations ended though when the next pairing was selected, "Levy McGarden and Gray Fullbuster!"

Natsu looked disappointed that he hadn't been chosen yet and Lucy whispered, "Gray and Levy would be tough because they are both smart and Gray is really strong. They probably wouldn't fight at all with each other either because of their personalities."

Laxus smirked at her and whispered, "Well as far as pairings go, it looks like you will have the easiest one since there are only two people left to even get matched up with each other."

Lucy blinked at Laxus then she heard Master Makarov announce, "The final pair of partners will be, Lucy Heartfilia and Natsu Dragneel!"

"YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!" Natsu screamed as he jumped up on the table with his fists on fire as he pointed towards their competitors and yelled, "LUCE AND I ARE GOING TO KICK YOUR GUYS'S ASSES!"

"Stupid luck of the draw," Gray snorted, "I was hoping Lucy would be my partner because then I could have her and Loke."

Everyone cheered in excitement and celebrated; however, all Lucy could do was sit and smile. Even though the last time they had all traveled to Tenroujima it had been years ago, it still felt like yesterday to her. She had grown and changed so much and now she would be partnering up with the person who had brought her to Fairy Tail. She felt genuinely excited and happy. However, she only had one week left to speak with Laxus and Orga before she left for an entire month.


	48. Chapter 48

"Well fuck you too Fall!" Lucy yelled as she woke up and looked out her apartment window to see that it was snowing.

Today was when Orga was coming to Magnolia to spend the day with her and she was nervous and excited at the same time. Sure they had hung out before and even practically lived together for three weeks, but something about it being an official date made the butterflies dance in her stomach all night long. She just hoped that the snow wouldn't ruin whatever he had planned.

Lucy yawned and let out a big stretch just before she heard a knock on her door. She nearly panicked when she thought that it was already Orga because she wasn't ready yet, but then sighed in relief when she heard Laxus's voice say, "It's just me Blondie."

"Coming!" Lucy called out after she kicked off her covers and went to unlock the door.

She couldn't help but let out a big smile when she saw Laxus with his coat standing in her door frame, but then she realized that she was still in her pajamas when his eyes widened and roamed over her body.

"Shit," Lucy eeped as she lunged for a blanket that was on her couch. She forgot that she had went to bed in a tight tank top and black boy short underwear.

Laxus just got a lecherous grin on his face before he commented, "I should surprise you in the morning more often if you will greet me like this every time."

Lucy rolled her eyes as she wrapped the blanket around herself and asked in a teasing tone, "What do you want perv?"

Laxus chuckled when Lucy walked back up to him with her warm smile before he replied, "I'm leaving today with my team so we can train Freed before he leaves with Juvia; however we will be back two days before you guys all head out because Freed wants a day with Mira. So I was wondering if you'd like to hang out together, just us."

Her team was also doing various things together throughout the week since they wouldn't see each other for an entire month, well except her and Natsu. "That would be great. The night before we go, my team and I are all hanging out together but I am free the night before that," Lucy answered happily.

Laxus leaned down in front of Lucy's face. She had to bite her lip from the intensity of his gaze before he gently kissed her lips and whispered, "It's a date then."

"Y-yeah," Lucy stammered out nervously while blushing, "Have a good time with your team."

"Thanks, you too," Laxus replied before he winked and left.

Lucy stood in the doorframe of her apartment with her heart still pounding from Laxus's touch. Then she finally shut the door and sighed, "These men are driving me crazy."

* * *

It was a little after ten and Lucy couldn't decide what to wear because she didn't know what they'd be doing. Orga would be here soon and luckily, even though it was still snowing lightly, it wasn't freezing. She finally determined that she'd wear some black leggings with boot socks and a gray thermal 3/4 length shirt with a cute teal puffer vest. If she needed to change then Virgo could help in a flash.

After she pulled up her last boot sock, she heard another knock on the door. She immediately smiled and her heart started pounding as she ran to the door. It had only been a few days since she last saw Orga, but she couldn't help but miss him.

When she flung open the door, her smile grew even wider when she saw Orga in a dark black coat and grey pants. He looked absolutely delicious. He smiled back at her then held up a little pink box and a hot travel to-go cup.

"Oh wow, thanks!" Lucy said in excitement as she motioned for Orga to come in.

When he shut the door behind him he said, "Don't worry, it's not coffee because I remembered that you didn't care for it. It's some carmel apple drink."

"Thank you! I'm still not ready to abandon fall entirely even though the weather is," Lucy said before she took a sip. It tasted like fall in a cup which made her smile more, then she opened up the pink box and saw all sorts of lovely pastries. "These look amazing!" Lucy giggled because she loved how sweet Orga was. Plus he looked adorable on her couch in her very girly apartment.

"I know the way to my girl's heart," Orga winked.

Lucy blushed wildly at Orga's statement, but her smile never left her face as she grabbed the strawberry pastry. Then Lucy joked, "Yeah, you probably never trained anyone who was dessert motivated before."

"You were the first person I ever trained," Orga admitted, "But Eve has started practicing with me and Yukino and she seems to be dessert motivated as well."

Lucy just laughed as she took a seat next to Orga but moved so she was facing him and he automatically put his arm on the back of the couch so that she could get as close as possible. "How is Eve doing?" Lucy asked.

"Good, she loved watching you fight the other day and can't stop talking about how you're her hero," Orga smiled, "She even told Sting that she didn't care that Sabertooth won, because she only wanted you to win. You should have seen the look on his face."

"I'll have to come visit you guys after the exams," Lucy replied as she imagined Sting sulking because he has a little Sabertooth member who had the heart of a Fairy Tail Mage.

"You better and you better not disappear for another seven years," Orga teased her.

Lucy's heart felt a pang at the thought then admitted, "Well I doubt that'd happen. Plus the rest of the guild got in an uproar and even the people who aren't competing are going to camp out on the island. Also Master is supposed to check in with Master Bob every two hours while we are gone."

Orga chuckled and said, "Sounds like you guys are on probation. I'm sure you'll be fine, but even if you did disappear, I'd wait for you and never stop looking for you."

Lucy's heart jumped up in her throat at Orga's words. His honesty made her feel safe and loved and she started to hate the idea that she wouldn't get to speak for him for an entire month. "I'm going to miss you," she whispered to him because she knew he'd hear.

She leaned her head against his chest and he wrapped his arms around her and replied, "I'll miss you too, Tiny. But I can't wait for you to come back as an S-Class Mage."

"Why do you always have so much faith in me?" Lucy asked sadly.

Orga looked down at her and answered, "I watched you conquer your own inner-demons. Sure you'll still get scared from time to time, but anyone who can conquer their own mind and control how they react to their fears can do anything."

Lucy took a deep breath before she admitted, "Orga, I think you're amazing."

"Thanks, but give yourself some credit too. You helped make me a better person," Orga replied just before he kissed Lucy's head.

"You were already a great person, Orga. Life events just kept you from seeing what was already in you," Lucy stated as she nuzzled into Orga's chest more.

"You are too sweet sometimes," Orga laughed, "But thanks."

Lucy felt content in Orga's arms and she'd probably be happy just remaining like that all day, but then she was curious about what he had come up with. "So what do you feel like doing today?" Lucy asked as she finished off her drink.

"Well it's a bit non-traditional," Orga laughed, "But I was thinking, we always seem to have something happening and haven't had the chance to be normal together."

Lucy nodded her head in understanding as Orga continued, "Well you are about to be gone for a whole month, then when you get back from the exams it will almost be Christmas time. I was wondering if you'd help me pick out some Christmas gifts, we could also decorate your tree—well if you have a fake one, we can eat lunch wherever you want to go, then for tonight I thought it'd be fun to cook for you again and we watch a movie. Plus I'm paying for all of it and we can do anything else you want."

Orga looked at Lucy to see her reaction and then just laughed when Lucy threw her arms around his neck and said, "That sounds like so much fun! I'd love to have a normal day with you! Plus I was worried about when I'd have time to get everyone's gifts so this works out perfectly! And last year, well technically before we disappeared, Natsu and Gray ruined all my decorations so I have to buy a new tree and everything!"

He hugged her back before he added, "I'm glad you like it."

Lucy's brown eyes fell to Orga's lips before she breathily replied, "Orga, I'd love doing anything with you."

She couldn't help but smile a little when she heard the sharp intake of air that Orga sucked in. As she leaned closer towards his lips, he whispered in a husky tone, "You shouldn't say things like that just yet Tiny."

"Hmmm? Why not? There are so many things I'd  _love_  to do with you," Lucy whispered before she let her soft lips gently brush against his.

Then as fast as lightning, Orga flipped Lucy onto her back on her couch. She let out a giggle of amusement before she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his face towards hers so that she could taste his delicious lips once more.

However, instead of him giving into her playful desires, he gently kissed her nose and said in an amused voice, "You shouldn't say things like that, because you'll get yourself too worked up before our date." Then with a deep chuckle he pulled away from her advances.

Her mouth fell open at how he had left her hot and horny and she threw one of the couch pillows at him and shouted playfully, "You jerk!"

He caught the pillow and tossed it back at her and joked, "You're the jerk. Trying to get me worked up with your sexy talk."

Lucy smiled wickedly at him and asked, "Oh, so you think I talk sexy huh?"

Orga just groaned and replied, "Jesus, if I didn't know better I would have thought you'd have been drinking this morning."

She just giggled at his distress before she leaned up and purred in his ear, "I think you're pretty sexy with your words and your body too, Or-chan. I can't help it if I'm honest."

Orga shot up off the couch and said hastily, "All right, let's get this date started."

Lucy leaned forward on the couch, because she was feeling rather playful and comfortable with Orga. She gave him a saucy look before she added, "But I kind of like watching you get flustered. The strongest man in Sabertooth, getting flustered by little ol' me."

He arched his brow at her before he replied, "Tiny, if you keep it up then we are going to end up fucking all day."

Her face heated up at his blunt honesty and her mind couldn't help but imagine what he had said. She didn't know when or where, but his words resonated deep within her like it was a desire she knew that she wanted all along. Then Laxus's face popped into her mind and she let out a heavy sigh. She still needed to go on a date with him and she felt like she still wanted both men. She felt terrible and confused.

Her expression grew serious when she stood up and wrapped her arms around Orga's waist. When he hugged her back, she couldn't help but smile a little before she whispered, "I will make my choice after the S-Class exams."

Orga looked down at her and stated softly, "Don't rush yourself."

"I don't think I'll be rushing myself. I will have a month without either of you. I'll be able to clear my head and it's not fair to any of us for me to keep dragging it out," Lucy admitted to him.

He took a deep breath in before he added, "Then we better make the most of the day and let me show you how much I love you and I'll never want anyone more than I want you."

Lucy blushed as she buried her face into his side before she admitted, "I'd love that Orga."

He gave her a kiss on the head before he grabbed her hand and asked, "So, whose present do you want to buy first?"

* * *

Lucy was having a blast. She felt so normal in that moment with Orga. There was no drama, nobody was trying to hurt them, and she felt warm and safe with him—like she could be herself.

They had just finished eating lunch and Lucy blinked in surprise when they stood outside of a leather shop. She looked up at Orga and asked, "Um…w-who are you buying a present for next?"

Orga looked down at his list and laughed before he asked, "You can't guess?"

Lucy looked back into the shop window and her eyes widened a little when she noticed that some of the leather seemed rather erotic. Her face heated up at some of the images that popped into her mind then her eyes widened when Orga held out his list for her to see.

She cracked up when she saw the name and replied, "Oh my god, I should have guessed."

Orga just shook his head and admitted, "It wasn't like I came up with this on my own. She must have popped out and wrote it on my list while we were distracted. I was originally just going to give her a gift basket, but apparently she has very specific tastes."

Lucy just laughed and said, "Leave it to Virgo to tell you that she wants you to buy her a leather riding crop for Christmas."

"Turn the list over," Orga grinned.

Lucy blinked in response before she slowly turned the list over to see Virgo's handwriting:

_Orga, please buy me a leather riding crop for my Christmas present. You can give my candy to Plue instead. However, if you decided that you would like to use the crop on my Hime-sama in the future, I would gladly let you borrow it._

_Love, Virgo_

_Punishment?_

Lucy found no words to speak as her brain heated up from embarrassment. Orga just patted her head and found it difficult to contain his amusement before he teased, "I might just take her up on that offer in the future, because maybe Hime-sama doesn't like to deal punishment because she'd rather be on the receiving end."

"Aaahhhh! S-stop f-flustering me!" Lucy eeped as Orga cracked himself up and went into the shop to buy Virgo's Christmas present.

* * *

Lucy had just finished hiding her presents from her guild mates under her bed in a box so that her team wouldn't find them as Orga pulled out Lucy's new Christmas tree out of the box for her. She was having such a good day that she nearly forgot about all the drama that had been around her life for the past few months.

She reached over and grabbed her lacrima player before she said to Orga, "Even though it is still technically Fall, it is snowing and we are putting up Christmas decorations so I am going to play Christmas music whether you like it or not!"

Orga just smiled as he sat her tree up in the corner and replied, "It's whatever you want to do today. I have no objections to your desires."

Lucy grinned widely before she replied, "Well earlier you seemed to object when I started talking dirty to you."

"Well when you come to your senses and choose me, then you can talk dirty to me all you want," Orga stated in a confident tone.

Lucy just laughed as she pulled out the new decorations that she bought for her tree and replied, "I'll keep that in mind Or-chan."

"Man, I knew you liked the color pink but I didn't know you were so obsessed with it," Orga teased her as he saw all the different shades of pink ornaments.

Lucy shot him a playful threatening glance before she replied haughtily, "I'm a girl that lives alone, I can have pink decorations on my Christmas Tree if I want."

"I didn't say there was anything wrong with it," Orga laughed, "I just haven't seen it before."

"Well what kind of decorations do you put on your tree?" Lucy asked as she began to wrap the silver ribbon she bought around the tree to use instead of tinsel.

"Uhhhh, I'm a dude that lives alone. I don't put up a tree," Orga admitted honestly as he helped Lucy with the ribbon towards the top of the tree.

She gasped at his answer and asked, "So what kind of decorations do you put up?"

"None," Orga replied, "This is the first year that Sabertooth is even celebrating Christmas at the guild. We didn't really celebrate things before."

Lucy nodded her head in understanding before she added, "Well when I get back, I'll have to come over to your place and help you put something up."

Orga smiled faintly and couldn't help but hope for that to be true, because if Lucy came over to see him after the exams then maybe they'd finally get to be together as a couple. He wanted that more than anything.

* * *

After they were done putting up the tree, Lucy was practically bouncing off the walls in excitement as she poured her and Orga some wine while he diced up the vegetables for their dinner. She sat his glass down next to him as she hopped up onto her kitchen counter next to him and asked, "So what are you making me, my wonderful God Slayer?"

Orga grinned before he gently kissed her lips and replied, "Seasoned steak with sautéed vegetables with salad and French bread."

Lucy smiled as she took a swig of her wine before she added, "Well, you look sexy as hell when you cook."

He nudged her with his muscular arm and replied, "Thank you. I love pleasing my even sexier than me girl, plus I'll let her have as much dessert as she wants tonight."

"God you are amazing," Lucy laughed.

"I told you this morning, I know the way to my girl's heart," Orga chuckled.

"How is everything so easy with you?" Lucy whispered to him.

He grew more serious when he admitted, "Well it wasn't this easy at first, remember? We were constantly having misunderstanding after misunderstanding when we were first on our mission together."

Lucy nodded her head at their early memories before she asked, "When did you know?"

"Know what?" Orga asked for clarification as he began to season the food.

"Know how you felt about me," Lucy stated while she poured them more wine.

Orga took a deep breath before he admitted, "Well it was obvious from the get-go that you were a good person, but I kept telling myself you were too good. Then Laxus kept butting in before we got to the mountain. I think though I finally started to truly recognize my feelings for you when you tried to save me from the Vulcans."

"Really?" Lucy asked at the memory that embarrassed her still.

Orga nodded his head before he added, "Well that's when I first started to really think about if you could maybe give me a shot someday. Then with everything we went through on the mountain and how hard I watched you fight and grow every day, you inspired me. You made me want to be better than who I thought I was. You didn't just see me as Orga the strongest mage in Sabertooth. You saw me as just Orga."

Lucy took a deep breath when she admitted, "Before we disappeared on Tenroujima, I told my Father something similar. That I wanted to be just Lucy."

Orga smiled at her before he replied, "You'll never be  _just_  Lucy to me though. You are more precious to me than anything in this whole world."

Her heart began to pound erratically and her face was blushed from happiness and from the alcohol before she pulled him close to her and stated, "You'll never be  _just_  Orga to me either."

Orga put down the cooking utensils as he wrapped his arms around Lucy's waist and their mouths crashed against one another hungrily. She could feel a fire in her belly as she wrapped her legs around his waist and moaned into his mouth for more. She knew that they couldn't go any further when she leaned away slightly and whispered, "This is the most amazing date ever."

"I hope we can have many more when you get back," Orga replied in husky tone.

The two gently kissed each other for a few more minutes before Lucy offered to help Orga finish up with cooking so that they could enjoy the rest of their evening together in each other's arms.

* * *

It was nearing midnight when the Christmas movie Lucy had picked out had finished playing. She and Orga had spent the night cuddling on her couch, enjoying each other's company, and kissing each other so frequently that Lucy barely remembered any of the movie but she had picked it because she had already seen it a hundred times.

Lucy looked up into Orga's mesmerizing eyes and asked, "Do you want to stay the night here?"

Orga took a deep breath in and replied, "I wish I could, but I have to get up at dawn to go on a mission with Rogue and Yukino."

"I understand," Lucy replied as she tried to mask her sadness.

"What's wrong?" Orga asked, because Lucy had failed miserably at hiding anything from him.

"I just…I don't want you to go. I'm going to miss you," Lucy admitted as a few tears fell from her eyes, "I had so much fun today and it was relaxing and amazing."

Orga pulled her into hug and whispered, "I don't want to leave either and I will miss you so much that it will hurt. But when you get back and if you choose me, then I will take you on as many dates as you want. We can go on missions together, I will stay the night with you or you can stay with me, and I will always be here for you."

Lucy began to cry and she couldn't even put into words why or what she was entirely feeling, so she just said, "Thank you for everything, Orga."

"Of course," Orga replied before he wiped away her tears.

Then much to Lucy's troubled heart, Orga stood up to leave. She held onto his hand as she led him over to her door. She tried to wipe away the tears, but they just kept coming. Then Orga pulled her into his embrace again before he said, "Good luck with your training and on the exams. I can't wait to see you come back."

Lucy nodded her head and added, "Thank you for training me. I know I'm only a contender because of you."

"Nah, you would have gotten there. I just helped speed up the process," Orga tried to encourage her because Lucy was getting more and more upset, "You've always been amazing."

Lucy began to sob, but accepted the gentle kiss that Orga placed on her lips before he whispered, "You'll do great and thank you for letting me take you on our first date."

Lucy nodded and then Orga added, "I love you, Lucy."

Hearing him say that only made her cry harder as she kissed him back with more passion. Then when the clock struck midnight, Lucy pulled away and whispered, "I'll talk to you when I get back."

"I look forward to it," Orga replied before he kissed her one last time and added, "Goodbye Tiny."

"B-bye," Lucy stammered out quietly as she watched Orga leave her apartment.

She tried to stop crying, but couldn't when she heard him teleport away outside. Then when she turned around she saw a small pink box on her coffee table with a white ribbon on it. Her eyes widened in surprise, because she didn't know when it got there. She felt her breath catch in her throat when she read the attached note:

_Tiny,_

_You will do great and I wanted to give you your Christmas gift from me early, because I think your new family member will help you over the next month in my absence._

_I love you._

_-Orga_

Lucy could hear her heart pounding when she untied the ribbon from the box and her eyes opened wide when she saw a silver key laying on a soft white pillow inside of the box. Lucy gasped and grabbed it as a huge grin appeared on her face when she saw the key Orga had gifted to her—Draco's key.


	49. Chapter 49

"Oi Luce, hurry I'm so excited!" Natsu said anxiously as Lucy held onto Draco's key.

"Maybe she's being slow because she got it from her booooyfriend," Happy snickered next to Natsu's ear.

"He's not my boyfriend!" Lucy snapped at Happy in a flustered tone.

"Sure he is Luce. He's a boy and he's your friend. Just like how Gray and I are your boyfriends too," Natsu said innocently.

Lucy face palmed while Happy cracked up at Natsu's statement. The blonde let out a heavy sigh before she pleaded with her friend, "Please don't ever say that sentence in front of Mira, because who knows what kind of ideas she'll get."

"She'll think we should lay an egg," Natsu grinned at her.

Happy and Lucy both looked at each other in confusion and it was Happy that asked, "Natsu, what do you mean by an egg?"

"Mira wants me and Lucy to have children, so Lucy needs to lay an egg like Igneel said. Just not sure how I get her to lay it," Natsu stated.

Happy was rolling on the snow covered ground in hysteria and Lucy had fallen to her knees in exasperation. She had no idea why in the world out of all people that it was Natsu that brought her to Fairy Tail.

Then she stood back up and said with a heavy sigh, "Natsu, you and I won't have an 'egg' together. I'll have Gray explain it to you."

Natsu just shrugged his shoulders and didn't seem fazed, whereas Happy was wiping the tears away from his eyes. Lucy just laughed then held out her key and said, "I am linked to the path to the world of Celestial Spirits, now! O spirit, answer my call and pass through the gate! Gate of Draco, I open thee!"

Happy flew and hid behind Lucy's leg as smoke filled the large clearing they were in. Natsu stood and grinned as the Celestial Dragon filled the valley. He was even more massive than the dragons from the dragon attack after the games. He had glossy black scales that almost shimmered like stars in the night sky when he moved. His claws were each larger than Elfman and his folded wings looked like they would cover the whole forest.

Then before Lucy could introduce herself, Natsu went charging towards Draco and yelled, "DRACO! FIGHT ME!"

The Dragon's deep blue eyes fixed on the pink haired man running towards him. Then with a flick of his tail, he sent Natsu flying and screaming backwards into a tree.

Happy and Lucy both flinched and Natsu sleepily said, "I'm all fired up," before he passed out into the snow.

"He deserved that," Happy stated in certainty while he still clutched onto Lucy's leg.

Lucy just nodded in agreement before she turned to look back at Draco and said, "Hello, my name is Lucy Heartfilia and it's very nice to meet you."

The majestic dragon leaned his head down to look at her closer before he spoke, "It's a pleasure to finally meet you Lucy. Your friends have told me a lot about you and I look forward to working with you."

"My friends?" Lucy asked in confusion.

Draco nodded before he replied, "The Lion, The Maiden, and the one who calls himself Orga Nanagear. They found my key a few days ago and told me about you. You prefer not to be called Master, correct?"

Lucy could only nod her head because she stood there stunned by the news. Then before she could ask anything else, Loke popped out with a cat-like grin and said, "Surprise."

"Loke! Why didn't you tell me you guys snuck off!?" Lucy asked as she gave his arm a playful smack.

Loke just laughed and admitted, "The night you got drunk with everyone last week—I may have popped out in the club because I could feel how intoxicated you were. I saw that Orga had you taken care off and he told me about his Christmas gift idea because he had heard rumors about Draco's key. I said I'd help."

"So Orga is her boyfriend?" Draco asked with an amused voice.

"HE'S NOT!" Lucy yelled out on a flustered tone.

Happy looked at Draco though and added, "They lllllllllllllike each other."

"He's not her boyfriend, because there's another guy that likes her. He's a Dragon Slayer though and not a God Slayer," Loke said with a shrug to his shoulders.

Draco snorted and then pointed with his tail to the unconscious Natsu and stated, "I hope he's stronger than that one."

"He is," Loke replied, "He's kind of a dick though, but overall he's a good guy."

"But you like the God Slayer better?" Draco asked Loke.

Loke adjusted his glasses and stated, "I've told Lucy that she should just ditch them both and runaway with me."

"Mira wants Lucy to have all the men," Happy informed Draco.

"STOP!" Lucy finally interrupted from embarrassment.

Draco's amused chuckle shook the snow covered ground around them all before he stated, "I'd be honored to make a contract with the strongest and kindest Celestial Mage. I wouldn't recommend summoning multiple spirits with me because I require huge amounts of magic; however, it is good to know that you have several spirits who can push their own gates open on their own strength. I use star magic that is similar to your Urano Metria. I don't spit fire like lesser dragons."

Natsu shot back up on the last part and yelled, "IGNEEL WAS THE STRONGEST!"

"You know Igneel?" Draco asked Natsu?

"Hells yeah, he's my Dad!" Natsu grinned.

Draco began to chuckle when he replied, "I should have guessed. You do smell like him and you are about as hot headed."

"You knew Igneel too?" Lucy asked Draco.

"Indeed. He often used to try to challenge me in his youth. I am the oldest Dragon and am immortal. He didn't stand a chance," Draco said with an amused look.

"Then where were you when Acnologia attacked?" Natsu asked angrily, "Or when Igneel disappeared?"

"If I am not bound by contract then I do not interfere with the world," Draco growled out.

Natsu studied Draco carefully and asked, "So my Dad never beat you?"

"Not even once," Draco replied.

Then Natsu punched his fist into his palm and stated, "Well it's a good thing it'll just be me and Lucy for a month, because I'm going to kick your ass!"

Draco, Lucy, and Happy all snorted at the idea and knew that Natsu would get his ass handed to him every time. However, the large dragon stated, "Of course I will help Lucy train. If she has to go against other Dragon Slayers then I need to make sure that she can defeat all of you."

Lucy cheered whereas Natsu pouted. Then Happy asked, "So you can fly and stuff too?"

"Indeed. Would you all like a ride?" Draco asked them.

Lucy's eyes shone excitedly and Natsu already took out running towards Draco to hop onto his back. Lucy thanked Loke and gave him a kiss on the cheek for all of his help before she and Happy also climbed on Draco's back. Lucy let Natsu ride in the front because he was like a kid on Christmas Day, plus if he got sick then she did not want to get puked on. However, Natsu assured her that Draco was not transportation. Then she wrapped her arms around his waist and Happy held onto her as Draco's muscles tensed and jumped off of the ground.

Natsu began screaming in happiness almost immediately and Lucy and Happy were both amazed at the speed and distance that Draco could cover. It wouldn't take them long to reach anywhere in Fiore if Lucy had enough magic. Happy was also happy that he got to ride for once instead of flying everyone around.

Then Natsu turned back to look at Lucy and yelled over the sound of Draco's massive wings flapping, "LUCE! WE ARE GOING TO KICK EVERYONE'S ASSES!"


	50. Chapter 50

Lucy hummed happily to herself as she made her way to the guild. Today was her date with Laxus and she felt incredibly nervous. She saw him at the guild last night while she was eating dinner with Natsu and Happy and they had agreed to meet at the guild the next morning. She had no idea what he had planned either, especially since it hadn't stopped snowing in Magnolia.

She entered the guild with her usual bright smile and waved at Levy who was hanging out with her team and then to Cana who was trying to avoid Gildarts's clinginess. Everyone was trying to spend as much time with their loved ones or teammates as possible before they all went to train alone with their partner for an entire month with no contact with anyone else. The only person they were allowed to speak with was Master Makarov because they would have to call in at the end of each week so that he knew everyone was safe.

"Morning Mira!" Lucy said with a smile before she headed up the stairs to Laxus's office.

Mira had an even more than normal mischievous smile on her face when she replied, "Good morning Lucy! I hope you and Laxus have fun on your date today!"

Lucy looked at Freed who was sitting at the bar so that he could visit with Mira; however, the Rune Mage refused to make any eye contact with her. Something was up, but she just didn't know what yet. She just nodded and finally said, "Thanks Mira. I'm sure we will have fun."

Lucy felt a shiver go down her spine when Mira began to laugh manically. Then she thought she heard Laxus's voice come from his office. When she reached his door, she saw that it was already open and he was standing behind his desk with his hands resting on it.

Their eyes met and Lucy said, "Hey Laxus, what's up?"

He let out a heavy sigh which made her somewhat nervous before he replied, "Well there has been kind of a change of plans today."

Before Lucy could ask what, she heard his office door quickly shut and a popping sound. Her eyes widened when she saw a small foam dart with a suction cup hit Laxus's straight in the middle of his forehead. Then Asuka jumped out and yelled, "I got you Uncle Laxus!"

Lucy had to bite her lips together to keep from cracking up and Laxus looked at her with an exasperated expression as Asuka ran behind his desk and asked him for her dart back so that she could reload her gun. That's when Lucy noticed several darts stuck on the walls of Laxus's office and on his desk.

Lucy tried not to laugh too hard when she cleared her throat and asked, "So what are these changed plans?"

Asuka ran past Lucy so that she could find a new hiding spot when Laxus replied, "Gramps was supposed to babysit today; however, he got called to an emergency Guild Master meeting. Mira said that she couldn't do it, so…"

"So I get to spend the day with Uncle Laxus!" Asuka yelled as she jumped out from behind Laxus's couch and shot another dart at him—this time hitting the side of his head.

Lucy couldn't hold back her laughter anymore at Laxus's predicament. Clearly he wasn't used to being around kids and even though she knew that Laxus liked Asuka, because everyone loved Asuka—even grumpy Gajeel, Lucy knew that babysitting was out of his element. Her heart grew warm at how Laxus had agreed to babysit, even though he knew that their date was today. The old him wouldn't have done that and she imagined that many of the girls who had been with him in the past probably wouldn't have been nice about their date being cancelled with Laxus Dreyar. However, that wasn't going to stop Lucy because she wanted to be with him today and it didn't matter what they did—just as long as she got to spend the day with him.

Lucy turned to Asuka and asked, "Asuka, would it be all right with you if I hung out and played with you and Uncle Laxus today too?"

Asuka's eyes grew big in excitement before she happily replied, "I love hanging out with you, Aunt Lucy!"

Lucy watched as Laxus looked shocked for a moment before his face softened and he gave her a faint smile. Then Lucy asked Asuka, "So what do you want to do today?"

"Hmmmm…well right now I am playing target practice but Uncle Laxus is so fast," Asuka replied as she began to line out her darts on the couch.

"Target practice sounds fun," Lucy smiled at the little girl, "But I think maybe Uncle Laxus should take us somewhere else to practice because there are only so many places we can hide in his office."

Asuka looked at Laxus and asked, "Will you take me and Aunt Lucy somewhere?!"

When Laxus didn't respond right away, Lucy stepped in and stated, "Of course he will! Now let's get your coat, because it's really cold outside."

Asuka just giggled excitedly as she ran out of the office to go get her coat. Lucy felt her heart flutter when she felt Laxus behind her and his lips brushed up against her ear and he whispered, "Thank you."

Lucy turned to face him and the nerves only amplified when she saw the somber look on his face. His eyes burned with desire and she found herself running her hands up his muscular chest before she wrapped her arms around his neck and teased in a whispered voice, "Well, I couldn't just leave you alone. You looked so helpless it was adorable."

He arched his eyebrow at her before he replied, "You thought I looked adorable?"

"How could I not? The big, bad Laxus Dreyar on babysitting duty," Lucy stated as her lips moved closer to his.

"Well as long as you keep it a secret—I don't want to ruin my image," Laxus joked back in a husky tone.

"Of course not," Lucy smiled as Laxus's arm pulled her up against his body, "I like that it will be our little secret."

She couldn't wait any longer and she knew that Asuka would be back at any second so she quickly pressed her lips to his. Instead of a gentle kiss that she thought that she was going to give him, it immediately turned into heated desire when his free hand brushed against her face so that he could deepen the kiss. She couldn't stifle her moan because her senses were being overrun by pleasure. His scent was intoxicating and his touch called out to her for more.

They both froze when they heard a giggle and then a squeal when Asuka said, "You were right Aunt Mira, Uncle Laxus does like Aunt Lucy."

Lucy's face heated up from embarrassment and Laxus immediately grew annoyed as he shot a fangirling Mira an annoyed look. Then Laxus nearly choked when Asuka asked them, "So is it true that Aunt Lucy will have twins soon for me to play with?"

Mira nearly passed out on the floor in excitement; however, Lucy and Laxus stated in unison, "No."

Asuka looked annoyed at them before she added, "It's no fun though that there are no other kids besides me."

"Yeah so you guys should get on that baby making train now," Cana added in as she too appeared in the door frame because she wanted to check out what Mira was squealing about.

"Show's over," Laxus stated grumpily.

Then he froze when Asuka stuck her bottom lip out and it began to quiver. The Lightning Dragon Slayer turned to Lucy for help, because Mira and Cana both looked amused by the fact that Asuka was ready to blow.

Lucy shook off her flustered nerves and said to Asuka, "Hey Asuka, I think Uncle Laxus said he would buy you a new toy gun before we go play some more target practice."

Mira and Cana both pouted at Lucy's quick thinking as Asuka's mind shifted towards the idea of getting a new toy. Laxus however let out a sigh of relief. He would buy the girl as many toys as she wanted as long as she didn't cry. Then Laxus grabbed his coat and stated, "Yeah kid, so get that coat on and then we can go and get you a new toy."

"Well that was disappointing," Cana murmured because she didn't get to see Laxus panic from an Asuka tantrum.

Mira on the other hand followed Cana and whispered, "I can't wait to tell Master that Laxus and Lucy will make great parents."

Lucy wanted to face palm at Mira's statement, instead she helped Asuka put on her coat and mittens. Then Laxus said to her, "I think it'd be best if we didn't come back to the guild later."

"Agreed," Lucy replied, because she didn't really want Mira dissecting everything that she did with Laxus today.

The two followed an overly excited Asuka out of the office when Lucy asked, "So how long do we have to watch her today?"

"Alzack and Bisca won't be back until tonight, so most of the day," Laxus answered.

Lucy nodded her head in understanding before she replied, "That's ok. I think it will be a pretty fun day."

Laxus took her hand once they got out of the guild and the snow started to fall from the sky again. They watched in amusement as Asuka jumped around in the snow and Lucy called out Plue much to Asuka's happiness.

* * *

When they reached the toy shop, Plue returned to the Celestial Realm and Asuka ran inside and immediately went straight for the toy guns. Then Lucy looked at Laxus and smirked, "I don't think it's fair that Asuka will go up against a Dragon Slayer all by herself."

Laxus looked at her before he laughed and asked, "Are you wanting me to buy you a toy too?"

Lucy just shrugged her shoulders but had a mischievous smile on her face as she eyed an adult sized nerf gun. Then Laxus chuckled and said, "You're on Blondie."

"When I win you have to stop calling me Blondie," Lucy laughed as she grabbed the toy gun, but then her eyes widened when Laxus grabbed an even larger one.

He gave her a grin and stated, "Well, I have to defend myself."

"You don't need to!" Lucy replied as she waved her arms at Laxus's appearance; somehow trying to indicate that he was too manly and didn't need the extra protection.

"You afraid you'll lose?" Laxus teased.

Lucy felt her competitive side well up when she snapped back, "In your dreams. Sagittarius has been training me. I'll have you begging me to surrender."

Her eyes widened when Laxus whispered in her ear, "That's funny, because I'm usually the one that makes girls beg not the other way around."

Lucy's face heated up from the innuendo before she stammered back out, "W-well you better get used to it Mister."

Laxus's eyes widened in amusement before he whispered, "I'd love to see you beg for me honestly."

Lucy's brain was flooded with sexual images of the things Laxus could do to her, but she had to focus on what was happening now when she put the first gun she had picked out back and picked out one even larger one than the one Laxus had picked out. She couldn't look at him when she said, "While I might enjoy that sometime, today is not the day. Today I am going to kick your ass."

Then before Laxus could reply, Asuka had just come back up to them towards the end of Lucy's sentence. The little girl gasped and said, "Aunt Lucy said a bad word."

Lucy threw her hand over her mouth when she realized that she had said ass. Then Laxus leaned down next to Asuka while keeping his eyes fixated on Lucy when he replied, "Aunt Lucy, you have such a potty mouth. Asuka, what do you think we should we do to her?"

Lucy could see that Laxus was enjoying this too much when Asuka replied, "She probably needs to be spanked."

"I think so too," Laxus agreed with Asuka and he gave Lucy a playful wink.

"That's not necessary!" Lucy said quickly in her defense, "Asuka, I'm very sorry for saying a bad word."

"I had to sit in timeout when I said a bad word though," Asuka pouted.

"I'll sit in time out," Lucy agreed because Laxus was giving her a smoldering look that was about to make her come undone.

Asuka nodded then replied, "Uncle Laxus will buy us toys, and then you have to sit in timeout before we play."

"Aye sir!" Lucy saluted Asuka.

Then Laxus paid for their new toys before they followed Asuka out of the store who was already waving her new toy gun around in excitement. Lucy was really enjoying this unique time with Laxus and liked seeing a different side to him. She was always learning new things about him and he was a lot more complex than the gruff asshole exterior that he usually gave off.

"What's with the grin?" Laxus asked her.

"Oh, I was just thinking about how awesome you are," Lucy smiled at him.

For a moment she thought she saw Laxus get flustered before he asked, "What makes you say that?"

"You doing this for Asuka, even though you knew our date was today. I think it's nice that you would help out like that," Lucy admitted.

Laxus took a deep breath as he reached for Lucy's free hand and shrugged his shoulders before he replied, "Thanks."

Lucy just smiled because Laxus probably wasn't used to people talking about his other traits besides his good looks or power. Even though she didn't know how things would turn out in the future, she knew for certain that she was glad that she got to see sides to Laxus and Orga that nobody else got to see. They were real and had both gone through a lot of shit which is why they now come across as gruff and tough to the world. Either way, she was glad that she got to know them and no matter what happened they would both hold a special place in her heart because they had taught her about herself too.

* * *

Lucy stood facing a tree in her timeout while Laxus helped Asuka load up her new gun. They had found a small clearing on the edge of the forest and Asuka had already informed them that after she and Lucy won, then Laxus would need to make them lunch. Lucy couldn't help but smile at the memory of Laxus looking uncomfortable when Asuka demanded to see his house later. She had already requested a grilled cheese sandwich for lunch, to which luckily Laxus said he had the ingredients for but he had no idea how to make one, so Lucy offered to help and Asuka agreed that it was an acceptable plan.

"Ok Aunt Lucy! You can come out of time out now!" Asuka called over to her.

"Thank you," Lucy smiled at her then looked at Laxus who was loading his toy gun. Lucy knew that even though they were playing with Asuka, Laxus would make sure that she wouldn't win but he'd probably let Asuka win. However, Lucy wanted to win too. The she added to Laxus, "You can't use your magic."

Laxus grinned and replied, "You scared about how bad I'll kick you're a—rear."

Lucy narrowed her eyes because Laxus had caught himself from swearing and luckily Asuka didn't pick up on the almost slip. "No, it's just it's not fair because you already have heightened senses."

"Fine, but you can't use yours either. Especially Sagittarius," Laxus smirked as he held out Lucy's gun for her.

"Fine," Lucy grumbled as they all got ready to battle.

She couldn't help but laugh when she heard Asuka yell, "I'm going to get you Uncle Laxus!"

* * *

Lucy sat stunned in Laxus's living room. Their game had ended with Asuka winning because Lucy had accidentally slipped on a patch of ice and Laxus ended up using his magic to catch her; however, not before Lucy twisted her ankle slightly. Then Asuka used their distraction to her advantage and shot them both with a foam dart—thus ending the game.

"Here you go," Laxus said as he held out a bag of ice for her.

"Thanks," Lucy said with a smile.

Laxus just nodded and asked, "How's it doing?

"It will be fine," Lucy replied as she sat the ice bag down onto her ankle, "It just feels kind of painful at the moment."

"Well Virgo just came out in the kitchen and offered to make Asuka a sandwich luckily," Laxus sighed in relief because he had no idea how to make a grilled cheese sandwich.

"How do you not know how to make a grilled cheese sandwich?" Lucy asked in disbelief.

"I don't really like them so I never learned," Laxus admitted.

"Fair enough," Lucy laughed.

"Why, do you like them?" Laxus asked.

"I will eat them, but it's not like I'd go out of my way to make one. I usually make them for Natsu," Lucy admitted.

"Well after having your cooking on that first mission we took together, I think I am actually jealous of Natsu for once," Laxus teased.

Lucy just smiled and added, "Well I don't think my team will part with me easily once we all get back from the S-Class Exams. We've hardly done anything together since before the Grand Magic Games."

Laxus took a seat next to her on the couch and replied, "Well you'll have Natsu with you for a whole month, but I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. He might drive you crazy."

Lucy nodded in agreement before she said, "Yeah he'll be ready to go 100% of the time with training. Gray probably would have been easier to live with for a whole month, but Natsu is my best friend and I've missed hanging out with him. Things are simple with him."

Laxus looked over at her because her voice had grown serious towards the end. Then he took a deep breath and stated, "Well, it's probably for the best."

Then much to Lucy's relief, because she was starving, Virgo brought in turkey sandwiches and chips for them to eat. The two enjoyed each other's company while Lucy's spirits entertained Asuka. Even Aquarius came out because Asuka always stroked Aquarius's vanity by calling her pretty lady.

* * *

After lunch was over, Asuka joined them in the living room and Lucy's ankle was feeling better so she offered to take the plates back into the kitchen while Asuka played 'I Spy' with Laxus. Lucy couldn't help but think at how adorable today was just as Asuka took a seat on Laxus's knee. Thank goodness Laxus had insisted on not returning to the guild, otherwise Mira would have probably already been picturing the two of them having five children by now.

Just as Lucy got back into the living room, she stopped dead in her tracks when she saw that Asuka had fallen asleep on Laxus. He turned to look at her with pleading eyes for help and Lucy tried to stay quiet when she asked, "Where's a bed so that she can take a nap?"

Laxus pointed towards upstairs and Lucy went over to gently pick up Asuka. The girl was out like a light and Lucy followed Laxus up the stairs. Her eyes widened when Laxus led her to his room. She smiled because he had interesting taste. His bed reminded her of his coat with a black comforter and two furry decorative pillows. Lucy gently laid Asuka down onto the bed after Laxus had pulled the covers away. Lucy was slightly jealous because a nap sounded fantastic after how long they had all played in the snow today.

As they left the room and Laxus gently closed his door shut, Lucy teased, "Your bedroom is a lot calmer than I would have thought."

"What do you mean?" Laxus asked as he started to walk down the stairs.

"Well I didn't see a mirror on the ceiling or handcuffs," Lucy laughed.

Laxus stopped in his tracks and turned to look at her and replied, "You have a really perverted mind for someone who looks so innocent."

Lucy just giggled and went to take a seat on the couch. Then Laxus added honestly, "I wouldn't have those things anyways because I don't ever bring people here and have never brought a girl back here like that."

Lucy blinked in surprise before she asked, "Really?"

Laxus nodded and replied, "My team comes over and Gramps does, but I never brought a girl here because I feel like that would make it more relationshipy."

Lucy rolled her eyes in amusement at the typical male statement. Then she let out a yawn from exhaustion. Laxus grabbed her a blanket before he sat down on the couch next to her. She felt relaxed and warm as he turned on the tv and she leaned her head against his arm as they enjoyed each other's quiet company.

* * *

Several hours later, Laxus opened the door to his house to see Alzack and Bisca standing outside the door with amused smiles. Lucy's and Laxus's hair were both standing straight up because of the little clips and rubber bands that Asuka had put in them to make them look "prettier."

"You're back!" Asuka yelled at her parents as she went running into their arms.

Alzack stated nervously to Laxus, "I hope she wasn't much trouble."

Laxus just shook his head no before he handed Asuka her new toy gun and said, "Keep practicing on your shot kiddo."

"Will you and Aunt Lucy play with me again sometime?" Asuka asked with a bright smile that even made Laxus smile at her.

He nodded and replied, "Sure thing."

Once the Connell family left, Laxus shut the door and Lucy and Laxus both let out a huge sigh of relief. "I don't know how they have the energy to keep up with her," Lucy said to Laxus.

Laxus nodded in agreement before he asked, "So what do you feel like doing tonight for the rest of our date?"

They both looked at each other because they were both freaking exhausted then Lucy answered, "What if we just chilled and watched a movie?"

Laxus sighed in relief again and replied, "That sounds amazing."

Lucy began to clean up the mess that was known as the Asuka Hurricane and Laxus grabbed his coat and said, "I'll be right back."

Lucy blinked in surprise and before she could tell Laxus that he still had his hair done up by Asuka, he had already teleported away. She shook her head because she had no idea at what he was thinking or what he was doing, but she hoped for his sake that he wasn't going to a very public place.

* * *

Lucy was relaxing on the couch when Laxus walked back in carrying several bags of takeout food. Her mouth instantly watered at the smell of the delicious food and then before she could ask what it was, she froze when she saw the very annoyed look on Laxus's face.

Before she could ask what was wrong, he stated, "I still have these fucking hair things in my hair."

Lucy tried to help his pride, but couldn't help it when she cracked up and replied, "YES! OH MY GOSH!"

She had to hold her side as she let out her amusement. Laxus just sighed and began to set the food out onto his coffee table. Lucy tried to wipe her tears away when she added, "If you wouldn't have disappeared so quickly then I could have warned you!"

"I looked like a fucking moron," Laxus groaned, "Everyone in the restaurant kept giving me weird looks and I didn't know why, then I caught my reflection in a shop window."

Lucy was close to hyperventilating at how everyone in Magnolia was probably shocked as hell when they saw the strong Laxus Dreyar with pink hair clips in his hair. "I'm sorry," Lucy snorted out as she continued to laugh.

Laxus began to unclip the hair pieces and just shook his head, but he couldn't hide his smile because he was glad Lucy was having a good time. Even if their day was a bit untraditional. Then he asked her, "Would you like some wine or a drink?"

Lucy opened one of the containers and her stomach danced with joy when she eyed the delicious buttery lobster that Laxus had picked up with scallops, potatoes, asparagus, rolls, and a pumpkin cheesecake. "Oh my god this all looks so good," Lucy said in excitement, "And sure, wine sounds great."

Laxus nodded and went to the kitchen to grab them some drinks while Lucy grabbed them utensils to use. When they got back, Laxus turned on his fireplace and poured them some wine. When he sat down next to her he said, "Thanks again for being ok with today."

Lucy took a big drink of her wine, because she needed it after babysitting all day. However, she smiled at him and replied, "Laxus, it really was ok. I had a ton of fun today and tonight seems pretty perfect, just being here with you."

"You're perfect," Laxus stated in a certain voice before he leaned in to give her a kiss.

Then instead of watching a movie, the two of them talked, ate, and enjoyed each other's company and the peace.

* * *

It was getting close to midnight when Laxus teleported Lucy back to her house. Lucy jumped up onto the step outside of her apartment building and turned so that she could be on the same level as Laxus. She could feel her excited nerves flowing inside of her when she whispered and pulled Laxus closer to her, "Thank you for the wonderful day, Laxus."

He let out his smug grin as her hands played with the fur trim on his coat before he replied, "Any time."

Lucy didn't feel like being shy as she pulled Laxus into a passionate kiss. The whole evening the two could barely keep their lips off of one another and Lucy let herself live in the moment with him. She could feel his god-like body press up against hers and she couldn't help it when she jumped up and wrapped her legs around his waist. His lips were like magic that enchanted her very soul and she could feel his hands on her ass to hold her in place as her body wrapped around his and her fingers ran through his hair.

They both froze when a stranger yelled out to them from the other side of the canal, "Get a room already!"

Laxus let out a low growl as he begrudgingly pulled away from their kiss. He leaned his forehead against hers before he sat her back down and said, "Even though that guy was a prick for ruining the moment, he's right. I should wish you a good night."

Lucy nodded her head in agreement as her body tried to calm itself down after that mind blowing kiss. She smiled at him and said, "So I'll see you I guess before we all head out."

Laxus nodded back and replied, "Yeah, Gramps wants to wish you guys all off. Have fun with your team tomorrow."

"I will," Lucy smiled, "You have a good day too."

Laxus gave her one last gentle kiss on the lips before he said, "Goodnight."

"Night Laxus, thanks again for the amazing day," Lucy replied as she kissed him back.

Then with a flash he was gone. Lucy took a deep breath as she gazed up into the snowy night sky. She tried to keep her mind calm and not think about what would happen in the future; however, she held her hand up to heart because she felt like she could actually feel it breaking into two pieces.


	51. Chapter 51

"I brought cake!" Erza said with a gleam in her eye.

"Shocker," Gray murmured as he grabbed a beer out of Lucy's fridge.

Lucy just smiled and motioned for Erza to put the cake down on the coffee table next to the rest of the snack foods. Then Natsu, Happy, Wendy, and Carla soon followed Erza in with the pizzas they had ordered. Lucy only trusted Natsu and Happy to pick them up since Carla would be there to supervise the transaction and the delivery.

Lucy already had to get onto Gray and Natsu for almost starting a fight because they nearly tore down her Christmas tree. She was thankful that she didn't have to be alone for an entire month with just Gray and Natsu—Natsu alone was going to be enough of a challenge for her mental health.

Lucy, Gray, and Natsu were all standing by each other when Erza started tearing up. Then Happy started wailing and said, "I WANT TO BE S-CLASS TOO BUT LILY WILL PROBABLY BEAT ME TO IT!"

"Probably," Carla stated honestly, but not trying to hurt Happy's feelings. However, the blue Exceed just started to cry harder.

Then Erza added, before she grabbed Lucy, Natsu, and Gray into a bone crushing hug, "I'm so proud of each of you and am going to miss you so much!"

Then Happy wailed even louder and asked, "WHAT AM I GOING TO DO WITHOUT NATSU AND LUCY?!"

Lucy laughed a little before Natsu grinned and replied, "Happy, it's your job to take care of Erza, Wendy, and Carla while we're gone."

Happy's spirits perked up a bit before he nodded and said, "Aye sir!"

The team began to dig into their feast and talked about random things or things they'd do together when they all got back together. Sadly all Lucy could think was if the team all took more S-Class missions then they'd probably have to pay for more damages. At least she had a big savings now thanks to Mr. Yamagata.

"So Lucy, you still think you'll get a new place when we get back?" Wendy asked.

"Oi! You can move in with me and Happy!" Natsu offered.

"Natsu, our house is gross," Happy stated bluntly.

"Thanks for the offer Natsu, but I think I'll pass," Lucy laughed as she patted her friend's shoulder.

Then Gray smirked before he teased, "Why, you got plans to move in with your new boyfriend?"

Erza choked on her drink and Lucy's and Wendy's faces turned bright red before Lucy yelled, "NO!"

Erza let out a sigh of relief before Lucy said haughtily," I'm not going to rush into anything with anybody!"

Gray just laughed at how flustered Lucy got before he asked, "Wait…why do you have your Christmas decorations up already?"

Lucy continued blushing before she replied, "O-Orga helped me put them up the other day since we will all be gone for a month and I won't have much time when we get back."

"I thought you guys were going on a date?" Gray asked in confusion.

"That was part of our date," Lucy smiled.

Gray still looked confused then Natsu yelled, "And he gave her a new key!"

Gray arched his brow and asked, "Which one?"

"Draco!" Happy stated excitedly.

Wendy's eyes widened in excitement because she knew that Draco was the Dragon Celestial Spirit key before she asked, "Lucy-san, can we meet him?"

Lucy sweatdropped because it's not like she could just summon Draco into her living room, but then she had to think about the exams already and Erza and Gray would be considered opponents most likely. So Lucy promised, "Once the exams are over then I will introduce you to him." Then Lucy nodded towards Erza and Gray and said, "Right now it might be unwise."

Wendy nodded her head in understanding, whereas Erza looked offended and Gray just snorted and murmured, "Stupid luck of the draw. I wanted Lucy as my teammate."

Lucy smiled at Gray and replied, "Levy will be a good partner though."

"I know," Gray sighed, "It could have been worse. It could have been Juvia."

"Gray," Erza said in a dark tone, "You and Juvia work well together magically."

"I guess," Gray shrugged, "When she isn't drooling or fawning all over me."

"Maybe you should tell her you aren't interested," Carla added in after she took a sip of her Darjeeling tea.

Lucy and Wendy both sweatdropped when Gray yelled, "I HAVE! MULTIPLE TIMES!"

"Personally I don't see why any woman would be interested in an exhibitionist like you," Natsu snorted.

"And what woman would be interested in a man with pink hair with a house that should come with a biohazard label?" Gray snapped back.

Lucy held up her hands to stop the fight because she could already see that another one was about to start when she reminded them, "No fights, because I don't want to buy new Christmas decorations again next year too."

Then Erza looked at Lucy's Christmas tree and stated, "I think the tree is very cute."

Wendy and Carla nodded in agreement before Wendy added, "It's very Lucy-san with the pink."

"What else did you and Orga do for your date?" Carla asked curiously because the guild had already heard the buzz about Lucy's and Laxus's date with Asuka—thanks to Mira.

"Hmmmm…let's see," Lucy replied thoughtfully, "First he brought me breakfast, that was the day that it first started snowing in Magnolia, then we went to buy Christmas presents and my new decorations before we went to eat lunch together. Then we put up my decorations in the afternoon before he cooked dinner for me and then we watched a Christmas movie."

Wendy was blushing wildly and even Erza looked flustered before Gray nodded towards them and asked, "What's with your guys' reactions?"

Wendy spoke up in a timid voice, "Orga-san sounds very…"

"Mature," Carla stated in approval.

"Sounds boring," Natsu stated, not really understanding why the girls seemed to like the date Lucy had.

"Not just mature," Erza replied with her face the color of her hair, "But sweet in a thoughtful way."

"Doesn't really seem like a date," Gray stated as he grabbed another beer.

"AND WHAT WOULD YOU KNOW ABOUT DATES?" Erza snapped at Gray in annoyance, scaring the shit out of the Ice Mage.

Gray smirked at Erza which made chills go down Lucy's spine. The Ice Mage took a seat next to Erza before he leaned in dangerously close to her. His fingers brushed back her scarlet hair behind one of her ears before he ran one finger under her chin and pulled her face close to his and said in a sexy, lowered tone, "When I take a woman out on a date, I make sure that  _all_ of her physical needs are met."

Lucy gasped at Gray's sudden boldness and Wendy had her hands covering her mouth in shock that Gray would be so daring towards Erza. Carla just snorted in disgust when Happy snickered and said, "He llllllllllllllllllikes her."

Erza began to shake uncontrollably before she punched Gray in the stomach and asked, "W-WHAT THE H-HELL WAS T-THAT?"

Natsu just cracked up when Gray began to rub his abs from the pain of Erza's punch. However, the Ice Mage just started to chuckle and said, "You asked me what I knew about dates, so I thought I'd give you an example."

Lucy had to hold Erza back before she could attack the man again and Gray just playfully winked at Erza. Then Natsu said, "Laxus's date with Luce sounded more fun. Target practice and dress up with Asuka. That sounds so cool!"

Happy nodded in agreement, but Gray rolled his eyes to that and said, "That sure as hell doesn't sound like a date either."

Lucy smacked Gray's shoulder before she replied, "Well, I guess it's a good thing that Orga and Laxus weren't taking you on a date then!"

"Probably, because I would have told them to not be such pansies," Gray teased.

Lucy had to stop Erza from attacking Gray again because the red haired woman yelled, "Men that can be sensitive to a girl's needs are manlier than insensitive assholes like you!"

"If you say so, Elfman," Gray replied to Erza with his hands up in disbelief.

Lucy just let Erza go after that, because she had given up hope and Carla and Wendy both just shook their heads in disbelief. Lucy had missed this. Just small little moments with her team where friendship was the norm. Then she started thinking about Laxus and Orga and her relationship with them. Her brows furrowed in thought, because she felt like she was friends with them both. Obviously in very different ways, but since neither of her relationships with them were based on pure physical attraction she supposed that was good. She obviously had very different relationships with Gray and Natsu that would never develop into anything more than just a friendship, yet here were two guys who were her friends but clearly wanted more. She knew it was WAY too soon to think about marriage and stuff like that, but she knew that whichever guy she chose—she wanted it to last. She just wasn't one of those girls that wanted to date to date, which is why she never really dated before. It was important to her, to be with someone that she completely trusted and they completely trusted her. She didn't want to doubt herself with the person she was around. She just wanted to be Lucy. To be equal and to be a team.

"Lucy-san," Wendy tried to ask as Erza continued to berate Gray, "Will it be hard to be away from Laxus-san and Orga-san for a month?"

Natsu looked hurt before he stated, "She'll have me!"

"That's not really a bonus," Gray replied when Erza finally backed off because Erza wanted to hear Lucy's answer, because this was serious girl business.

Lucy had to position herself in-between Gray and Natsu again to keep them from fighting, she was getting worn out from all the excitement already, before she replied to Wendy, "It was hard saying goodbye to Orga the other day, I know I will still see Laxus tomorrow before Natsu and I leave, but yeah…it will suck but at the same time it's what I need."

"How so?" Carla asked out of curiosity.

"Ever since the games, I felt like my life has been a roller-coaster. I was with Orga a few weeks, then Laxus a few. I feel like my brain hasn't stopped to relax in a long time, so being alone with Natsu will give me the distance I need to figure out what it is I really want, because both men are great and I don't want to hurt either of them, but I have to do what's best for me," Lucy replied.

Erza nodded in agreement before the team began to talk about the mission that Erza had already picked out for Happy, Wendy, Carla, and herself to go on while Natsu, Gray, and Lucy were away. Lucy was thankful that the entire guild would be going to Tenroujima this time for the exams, even if the majority of the guild would just be having a cookout and playing on the beach, according to Erza. After a year, Fairy Tail was finally getting back to normal. The job requests from the games were still coming through and had picked up again thanks to the festival. She couldn't wait for the exams to be over though and spend her first real Christmas with her guild. Then her heart fluttered because it would be her first Christmas with a boyfriend too.

* * *

The next morning Lucy and Virgo packed up the things that Lucy would need. Obviously Virgo would bring her and Natsu anything that Lucy may have forgotten in her currently flustered state. She knew her apartment would be fine while she was gone, because she had told her landlady and Erza and Wendy would check on it regularly. Plus the main perpetrator for destroying her apartment was going to be with her for the next month.

Once Lucy and Virgo were finished, Virgo said, "I'll see you tonight Hime-sama when you and Natsu get to your training location."

"Thank you Virgo!" Lucy called over her shoulder just as she was about to pack her communication lacrima.

After Virgo had disappeared into the Celestial Realm, Lucy continued to look at her communication lacrima. She had talked to Orga briefly to thank him for Draco's key, but not for long because he was traveling with his guild mates. She figured that Orga was still on his mission with Rogue and Yukino, but she really wanted to say goodbye to him one last time, but she didn't know if that would make it harder on her or not. Either way she would just deal with the consequences later as she sat down at her table and tried to call.

It only rang twice before Orga's face appeared on the screen and a smile broke out across his face before he asked, "Aren't you supposed to be leaving today?"

"Yes," Lucy smiled back, "I'm about to go to the guild now to meet up with Natsu and everyone before we all go our separate ways, but I really wanted to talk to you one last time, even if it was just for a minute."

Orga chuckled before he replied with, "Well I'm glad you did, because I wasn't sure what time you were leaving and I was already missing you."

Lucy began to blush like crazy before she stated, "I already miss you too and thanks again for Draco, he's so amazing."

"Yeah he seemed like a pretty cool dragon. Well, a lot better than those assholes we all fought at the games," Orga added.

"Orga," Lucy said seriously because she knew she had only moments to spare, "Thank you for waiting on me and being so patient."

There was a brief pause before Orga replied with, "There is nothing to thank me for. You are amazing and only a fool would have given up on you."

Lucy gave him a faint smile before she finally said, "So I guess I will talk to you in a month."

The two knew what that meant without either of them having to say it. Then Orga nodded and said, "In a month. Good luck with training and with the exams. I know you'll do great and I have no doubt that you'll come back as an S-Class mage."

"Thanks Orga," Lucy whispered, "Goodbye."

"Bye Tiny," Orga whispered back before the screen went dark.

Lucy tried to wipe away her tears as she tucked away the lacrima in her bag and then made her way to the guild.

* * *

Lucy could already here a ruckus going on inside as everyone gathered to see everyone off. She shook her head when she saw that Natsu and Gray were rolling around fighting each other in the middle of the guild because apparently Max had started placing bets on whether or not Natsu or Gray would get chosen as an S-Class mage first.

Everyone was laughing and saying their goodbyes when Lucy felt someone grab her hand and turned to see Laxus grinning at her. Lucy got a big goofy smile on her face before she gave Laxus a hug and said, "Thanks for coming to see us off."

Laxus snorted and replied, "Well it's not like I had a choice thanks to Gramps, but I would have done it anyways." Then he held out a small box for her and replied, "Got you some chocolate for the road."

Lucy's eyes widened in excitement before she put her pack down and hid it at the bottom and said, "Thanks Laxus! I'll have to keep that on me at all times because I don't want Natsu getting it."

Laxus just nodded and said, "Good luck with that because he'll probably smell it on you."

Lucy nodded in understanding just as Master Makarov cleared his throat for everyone to be quiet. Lucy found herself smiling as she leaned up against Laxus as Master Makarov said, "This S-Class exam will be very special. We have never done it like this before and as sad as I am to see all eight of our contenders leave to start their new journey, I feel like a proud parent. We have all been through a lot together this past year, but several of our members went through a lot in our absence. This will be the eight year mark for them and no matter what, we will all always be family. If anything was learned from the last exams was that Fairies don't give up, we don't surrender, and we don't leave anyone behind. Each of you that have been chosen to compete as S-Class mages this year were all recommended by several guild members, not just those who are already S-Class mages themselves. You have shown that you in essence are what a Fairy Tail mage truly is and I wish you all the best this next month."

Everyone cheered in excitement just as Mira stood next to Makarov and said, "Each of the teams will be given a map to a cottage that you and your partner will be residing in for the next month. Every weekend you will contact the guild to check in with me or Master Makarov. Food and supplies will be delivered to you on a weekly basis and one month from now you will head to Hargeon Port so that the S-Class trials can begin."

Mira then handed the maps to Freed, Lucy, Cana, and Levy just as an onslaught of hugs were starting to go out to everyone and Master Makarov yelled, "NOW GET GOING AND GOOD LUCK CHILDREN!"

Lucy laughed and gave Gray, Wendy, Levy, Carla, Erza, Mira, Cana, Lisanna, and even Gajeel a hug before she gave Laxus a kiss on the cheek. Then Happy came up and gave her a huge hug as he wailed again about missing her just as Natsu came up and grinned at her and asked, "You ready to go, Luce?!"

Lucy looked at Laxus one more time who just smiled at her before she replied, "I'm all fired up."


	52. Chapter 52

**One weeks later…**

"Ummm…Orga," Sting said in a timid voice as he handed Orga the latest job request.

The God Slayer looked at his master with a curious gaze before he read the job description. Orga then handed the request back to Sting and replied in a monotone voice, "Fine."

Rufus and Rogue were both sitting by Orga and weren't that surprised by his reaction; however, Sting flipped out and asked, "THAT DOESN'T BOTHER YOU?!"

Orga stood up to go home so that he could go pack when he replied, "Why would it?"

Yukino came up and read the job description over Sting's shoulder. Her eyes widened in shock when she whispered, "Orga-san has to go on a job with Laxus-san?"

"YES!" Sting yelled, "AND HE SEEMS TO BE TOTALLY FINE WITH IT!"

"That's because Orga is a professional," Rufus added in with an amused expression.

"I didn't say I was happy about it," Orga stated in an attempt to cut Sting off from his rampage, "All I said was fine, as in it's just another job."

"But he's your rival," Sting argued, "I can turn down the request if you want."

"It came in because of the festival didn't it?" Orga asked before he added, "Besides teaming up with Laxus isn't what concerns me."

Sting nodded his head yes to the festival request before he looked at the job description again. Then when Sting realized what kind of job it was he whispered, "Holy fucking shit."

Rogue and Rufus were now curious and Rogue quickly snatched away the job description. His red eyes narrowed at the paper before he replied, "You and Laxus are supposed to be bodyguards for a rich woman transporting her jewels to Bosco."

"That's not just any rich woman," Rufus stated in realization, "That's Lady Coralie. She is the fourth cousin of Princess Hisui and is known to be quite the lecherous woman. She has had four husbands that were all elderly men that died not long after her marriage to them. Many people think she killed them for more wealth and she is supposed to be one of the most beautiful women in Fiore."

"Well it's not like Orga would drop Lucy for Coralie," Sting stated in confusion.

"No he wouldn't," Yukino added, "But that doesn't mean that Lady Coralie won't try to play games with Laxus and Orga and pit them against each other."

The Sabertooth Mages all looked concerned before Orga said, "I will see you in two weeks."

"Are you sure Orga?" Sting asked, "I can offer to go instead."

"You would like a lecherous woman hitting on you constantly," Rogue snorted.

"THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT!" Sting yelled at Rogue in agitation, because he didn't want Orga getting hurt or being put in a difficult position.

"I'll be fine," Orga replied before he left the guild.

Everyone watched as Orga teleported away to his house and Sting just sighed and replied, "I don't like this."

* * *

Laxus was sitting at the bar in the guild when he saw his Gramps walking up to him with a concerned look on his face. Mira handed him another beer as the white haired woman saw the guild master and said happily, "Good morning Master."

Makarov just smiled kindly and replied, "Morning Mira, I take it that all of our S-Class contenders checked in this morning?"

"Yep," Mira smiled back before she added, "I just heard from Cana and Gajeel, they were the last ones to check in."

Master Makarov nodded as he took a seat next to Laxus. The Lightning Dragon Slayer looked at his Grandfather and asked, "What is it Gramps? You look too serious for this early in the morning."

The elderly man then slid the job description across the bar top and stated, "You received a job request this morning."

Laxus arched his brow at the statement then read the job description. He let out a low groan before he chugged the rest of his beer and stood up. Then Master Makarov asked, "Will you be ok with this?"

Laxus just shrugged his shoulders before he grabbed his coat and stated, "I'll be fine."

"Well I know that you and Orga don't exactly get a long," his Gramps stated.

"Neither do Natsu and Gray," Laxus replied in an attempt to make a joke.

Mira couldn't help it, but when she heard Orga's name mentioned she snatched up the job description and quickly read it. Her eyes widened in surprise before she asked Master Makarov, "He doesn't have to do it if he doesn't want to right?"

"I would never force anyone to go on a job they didn't want to," Makarov stated.

"It won't be that bad," Laxus grumbled. No he didn't like the idea of being with Orga for two weeks straight, but the woman they were going to go meet—she was a different story. "Just tell Bicks and Ever that I'll see them in two weeks."

His Gramps nodded and replied, "Be careful and take care."

Laxus nodded and made his way out of the guild. He took a deep breath once he got outside and all he could think about was that he was glad that Lucy was away right now, so that she wouldn't have to worry.

* * *

"FIRE DRAGON'S BRILLIANT FLAME!" Natsu yelled as he threw the fiery explosion at Draco.

Lucy just sat behind Draco on a blanket in the snow as she turned a page in one of the four books that she found on a bookshelf in the cottage. Loke handed Lucy a hot chocolate just as Draco blew out Natsu's attack.

"You've already tried that move, Son of Igneel," Draco said in an amused voice.

"AHHHHHHHHH!" Natsu yelled in frustration, "FIRE DRAGON'S WING ATTACK!"

Lucy and Loke both sighed, because Natsu had been trying to go at Draco almost the whole week. The plan was for Natsu to reach Lucy; however, Draco was very protective and Natsu had yet to come close at all. Finally Lucy said, "Natsu, why don't you rest for a bit? Besides, I think these books are important."

Just as Natsu lunged at Draco one last time, the Celestial Dragon said, "Lucy, cover your ears."

Lucy sat her hot chocolate down and did as Draco requested before the dragon roared at Natsu and knocked him back into trees and hitting him into it so hard that the snow from the branches fell on top of him. The older dragon chuckled before he said, "I think the boy has had enough for the day."

Lucy just laughed as Loke went to check on Natsu before she replied, "Thanks for helping. You were right, you do take a lot of magic to keep out."

Draco nodded as Loke pulled Natsu out of the snow pile. The old dragon then said, "Leo is out on his own right now, but if you could summon two more spirits out while you have me out, then I think you will be an unstoppable force. Just being able to keep me out for two hours is quite impressive and I have yet to have an owner who could accomplish such a feat—yet you have done so every day. None of your S-Class mages stand a chance except for perhaps the Lightning Dragon Slayer and the one that you called Gildarts."

Lucy nodded in agreement before she thanked Draco again and he returned to the spirit world. Lucy picked up her things and the blanket before she called over to Loke and asked, "Can you help carry Natsu inside? I need to tell him about this book."

"Of course, Princess," Loke smiled as he dragged Natsu through the snow by his collar.

Lucy grabbed a snack for Natsu and was impressed that the kitchen was still as clean as it was. They only had so much food, which was still a ton in Lucy's opinion. When she and Natsu had arrived at the beginning of the week, the first rule she initiated was picking up after themselves. Any time that Natsu left out anything, Lucy summoned out Virgo to punish him. Which was easy since Natsu was food motivated, Virgo just took all their food back to the celestial realm. Early that morning after, Lucy had gotten off the communication lacrima with Mira, more food was delivered for the next week. So far things were going pretty smoothly with Natsu. He was a lot more serious since he desperately wanted to become an S-Class mage.

Once Loke had thrown Natsu down onto the couch in front of the fireplace, he excused himself to the celestial realm as well. Lucy put some spicy beef jerky on a plate before she handed it to Natsu. She shook her head because her partner was still unconscious until she waved the meat stick in front of his nose. His eyes shot open and he bit down on the jerky so hard he nearly bit Lucy's finger.

"Baka," Lucy laughed as she pushed the rest of the snacks towards him, "If you would have just stopped then Draco wouldn't have roared you into that tree."

Natsu set up and rubbed the back of his head before he replied, "I know. It's just fun fighting with Draco. It reminds me of being with my Dad."

Lucy couldn't help but smile as she took a seat next to Natsu and said, "Draco likes hanging around you too."

Natsu gave her a cheesy grin before he grabbed another piece of jerky and asked, "So what were you saying about these books?"

Lucy pointed to the bookshelf and said, "There are four and we are technically going to be here for four weeks. This cottage was set up to meet all of our needs for training. These books aren't necessarily just story books. This one in particular is about various laws concerning magical guilds and laws you have to abide by on a job."

Natsu just nodded his head because he knew that Lucy was smart and she'd explain what they would need to do. Lucy turned to a page in the book and added, "I just have a feeling that we both need to know what is in these books and I could use my Gale Force reading glasses; however, I just have this feeling that you need to know this stuff too. Being an S-Class mage isn't about strength alone, you have to be smart too."

Natsu looked at the large tomes and admitted, "But Luce, I can't read that fast. You could read all of them without the glasses in enough time, but there is no way that I could."

Lucy thought about this for a minute before she asked, "What if I read them to us every day? Like what if we set some time aside and I'll read it out loud."

"That sounds good," Natsu agreed, "Because then I can ask what the big words mean."

"Good," Lucy laughed before she said, "Now I'm going to go shower, you should go shower too then we can make dinner and I'll read to us."

"Uggghhhhhh, I don't want to shower! I just did that yesterday!" Natsu whined.

Lucy rolled her eyes before she replied, "Yeah and we were training all day and you stink. I don't want to smell your body odor over dinner."

"Fiiiiine," Natsu pouted as he made his way to his room to shower, because he knew if he didn't then there would be no dinner because Virgo would take all the food.

Lucy just laughed at her partner and then thought about how thanks to Orga she got the idea to motivate Natsu's training through food rewards. When the God Slayer's face popped into her mind she couldn't help but feel a pang in her chest. She missed him and wondered how he was doing. Every night since she and Natsu left, Lucy had either had dreams about Laxus or Orga. While she was awake she tried her best not to think about either men, but it was too difficult. She had no idea how they were doing or what they were thinking or what the hell she was going to do after the exams. She just hoped that whatever both of them were doing, that they were safe.


	53. Chapter 53

Laxus internally groaned when he saw Orga already waiting for him outside of Lady Coralie's estate. The God Slayer looked at him and nodded when he sensed the Dragon Slayer getting closer.

When Laxus approached the tall gates outside of the estate, he said in a gruff voice, "Let's get this over with."

Orga just nodded his head in agreement before the gates opened wide for the two men. Laxus felt uneasy as the two of them walked through the courtyard that was covered in a light snow and it wasn't because of the man next to him. The stone statues that lined the courtyard made him feel as though they were screaming at him to turn back; however, he shrugged off the feeling and continued to walk next to Orga.

"So have you heard from Lucy and Natsu?" Orga asked Laxus, snapping the Dragon Slayer out of his thoughts.

"Mira heard from them," Laxus grumbled back, "Their fine."

Orga just nodded, but before the two could say anything else to each other the large black doors to Lady Coralie's mansion opened up and a tiny man popped his head out and greeted them, "G-good day gentlemen. My name is Mr. Tadashi and I am Lady Coralie's most trusted servant. Please come in and have a seat while My Lady finishes getting ready."

Laxus kept a calm expression; however, the man that greeted them reeked of uneasiness and Laxus could tell that Orga got the same impression. The two Slayers then entered the mansion and Laxus immediately smelled all of the fresh flowers that were in vases throughout the entry way.

"May I take your coats?" Mr. Tadashi asked them with a nervous grin.

"No thank you," Orga spoke up in a monotone voice.

Mr. Tadashi looked taken aback for a moment before he bowed and showed the men to the parlor before leaving to find his mistress. Once the man was gone, Laxus took a deep breath in as he looked at the giant portrait of Lady Coralie that hung above the fireplace. Before Fantasia, Laxus had heard tales of Coralie's beauty and had even considered hooking up with her at one point. However, she had been on her second marriage then and only recently had she become a widow again for the fourth time—and she was only 28 years old. The portrait contained a young woman who was beautiful by every means of the word. She had soft ivory skin with lustrous black hair and emerald green eyes. The red dress that she wore in the painting looked as though it were made of the finest silks and clung to every curve that she possessed. It was easy to see why four different men agreed to marry her, even if for the most part the men were all old and senile.

"Have you met her before?" Orga asked as he nodded towards the painting.

Laxus shook his head no, because even though he had thought about hooking up with Coralie—he had never actually met the woman before. Then he replied, "You ask a lot of questions."

"I've asked two," Orga stated in a monotone voice.

Laxus snorted in response before he added, "Well it's annoying."

"So is your attitude," Orga chuckled.

Laxus shot Orga a threatening glare then got more annoyed when he saw the amused look on Orga's face. However, Laxus's attitude vanished when Lucy's face popped into his mind. He knew that if she were aware that he and Orga were on a mission together then she'd be worried sick about them possibly fighting the whole time and that's not what he wanted. Right now Lucy was focusing on becoming an S-Class mage, but he also knew that she would eventually decide who she wanted to date and while he still didn't like the fact that Lucy liked Orga, at least Laxus could find out for himself if Orga was worthy of someone like Lucy—even though Laxus himself still didn't even feel worthy of her. Either way, he knew that Lucy would want him and Orga to get along so that is what he was going to try and do.

The two men's bodies tensed when a new and tantalizing smell entered the room behind them. Laxus's temper quickly rekindled because he had no idea how the woman had snuck up on them without them hearing her first.

"I hope my portrait pleases you; however, I think the real thing will be much more enjoyable," the velvety voice of Lady Coralie purred from behind them.

Laxus and Orga both turned around and Laxus saw that Orga was equally perturbed that Coralie had somehow gotten into the room and so close to them without detecting her. The woman looked exactly the same as the portrait, except for this time she wore a blue silk dress that showed more than enough cleavage. Her porcelain face grinned at them before she added, "Well you two look even better from the front than your back side. Please have a seat so that we can discuss the job."

Orga and Laxus hesitated as they watched Lady Coralie sat down on a delicate looking chair next to the antique couch that she pointed at for them to sit at. Laxus felt his blood surging through his veins because her smell was about to drive him crazy. It was bewitching and that's when Laxus realized that perhaps Lady Coralie was wearing something to cloud their minds. He wanted to give the woman the benefit of the doubt; however, he had heard the rumors about her late husband's timely demises. Yet the Rune Knights could never find any evidence of foul play, yet if she always smelled like this then he could see why no man would even argue with her. It was difficult to think straight already.

Laxus cleared his throat before he said gruffly, "I think we are fine over here. Actually it's pretty hot in here and Slayers tend to have above average body heat, so I'm going to open a window."

He saw the corner of Orga's mouth turn up slightly in amusement by the look of shock on Lady Coralie's face before he went and opened a window. The woman then said in a flustered tone, "You might catch a cold though, because it is snowing outside!"

"We don't get sick from the cold," Orga replied in a dry voice, "However, you might have to put a coat on."

Now it was Laxus's turn to look amused because Lady Coralie looked annoyed for a half a second before she regained her composure. She did not get a coat as Orga suggested even though Laxus could tell that the woman needed to, because her skin began to form tiny goosebumps from the chill in the room.

She looked at both of them with her emerald eyes and said in a demure voice, "I will be fine for the moment Mr. Nanagear, thank you for your concern. I wouldn't want my guests to be uncomfortable around me."

Laxus didn't like the way her emerald eyes gleamed at them before she continued, "As you know, I need help transporting some of my jewels to Bosco. I am aware that you men could easily teleport them there for me; however, the reason why I have to go with you is because there is a wealthy young man who wants my hand in marriage and he is having a ball in my honor to which you two will be my escorts."

"That wasn't on the job description," Orga stated bluntly.

Lady Coralie grinned at Orga before she replied, "No it was not, because it is a secret. I am being used by the King of Fiore to strike an alliance with the Moreau family of Bosco."

"So why do you need us specifically?" Laxus asked in an annoyed voice.

Coralie turned her devilish grin from Orga to Laxus and said sweetly, "The King said that I do not have to agree to the marriage if I do not want to; however, I do not think that Jaque Moreau will let me leave so easily. Besides, I have heard quite the tales about both of your abilities in fighting and in the bedroom, so I wanted the best of the best."

Laxus's and Orga's eyes both narrowed at the woman before she giggled and stood up, "Why Laxus, the tales of your one night stands before you were trapped on Tenroujima are the stuff of legends. As well as you Orga, Minerva and I used to be quite close before she left Sabertooth and she spoke very fondly of your skills."

"When are we leaving?" Laxus snapped at Coralie. He didn't want his past brought up and he figured Orga felt the same.

"I wasn't finished speaking," Lady Coralie stood up and stated in a firm tone, "Now from what my sources tell me, the two of you are fighting over the same woman—Lucy Heartfilia."

Laxus felt his breath catch in his throat before Lady Coralie stated in a somewhat agitated tone, "I knew sweet Lucy well before she was a member of Fairy Tail. I was a few years older than her but our Fathers were very close. I saw her fight against Jura at the festival and she even used Orga's lightning to help her."

Orga and Laxus both glanced at each other before Lady Coralie regained her composure and added, "To answer your question though Mr. Dreyar, we will leave first thing in the morning. Tonight both of you will be dining with me and some of my friends."

Lady Coralie turned her back to both of them before she started to leave the room and said, "Mr. Tadashi can show you to your rooms. Dinner will be at six tonight. No matter who my guests are tonight, you both should be polite."

"Just because you are a job requester, does not mean we will do whatever you want," Laxus growled at her.

"We can quit at any time," Orga agreed with the Dragon Slayer.

Coralie turned her head over her shoulder to look at both of them before she replied sweetly, "You will if you don't want anything happen to your sweet Lucy."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Laxus asked in anger.

Lady Coralie just continued to smile before she replied with, "Mr. Tadashi, can you show these lovely gentlemen to their rooms?"

The timid butler came out from behind the door and bowed to his lady before Lady Coralie left the two Slayers standing in anger. Laxus looked over at Orga who looked just as pissed as Laxus felt. Then the little butler spoke up and said, "Please let me show you where you will be staying for the evening. Mr. Nanagear will be staying in the west wing and Mr. Dreyar will be in the east wing."

"No," Laxus replied, "You can go tell Lady Coralie to shove it up her ass, but Orga and I will be staying in the same wing."

"But there is only one available room!" Mr. Tadashi cried out in fear because he didn't know how his mistress would react to the news.

"Then we will share a room," Laxus stated as he slung his pack over his shoulder.

Mr. Tadashi bowed nervously before he led the way to their room for the night. Then Orga turned to Laxus and joked, "I appreciate your concern for me, I didn't know you felt that way about me."

Laxus was already on edge from the whole situation before he retorted with, "Well we don't have to share a room if you don't want to, but one of us will probably get molested or something in our sleep. That woman makes me uneasy."

Orga nodded in agreement as the two began to follow Mr. Tadashi to their shared room. The God Slayer spoke lowly so that only Laxus could hear, "I agree, especially when she brought up the party tonight and her guests."

"And Lucy," Laxus added in.

"Can you send word to your Grandfather that Lucy might be in trouble?" Orga asked Laxus.

"Yeah, I will when we get to our room. I don't want to worry him unnecessarily, but we don't know what she meant by that statement," Laxus replied, "But Lucy is with Natsu and will sense anyone coming."

"We couldn't sense her," Orga pointed out, "Her smell came first but it was like I couldn't hear her."

Laxus narrowed his eyes, because Orga was right. He didn't want to do this job, but the fact that Lady Coralie brought up Lucy made him feel like he had to see this mission thru. This whole situation just didn't sit right with him and he could tell that Orga didn't like any of it either. At least they were on the same page about that so far.

* * *

Once they had reached their room, Mr. Tadashi excused himself and Orga and Laxus entered their room. Orga let out a heavy sigh and Laxus grumbled, "For fuck's sake."

The room had a large king sized poster bed with a see-through canopy. Exotic flowers were dispersed in vases around the room and over the fire place, that was already going, was another portrait of Lady Coralie; however, unlike the one that was downstairs in the parlor—this one was of Coralie in a much more scantily clad outfit. Laxus wouldn't even call it an outfit though, it was just see-through fabric that exposed one of her nipples and ass. Her smile looked exactly like how I did when she turned to look back at them before she left the parlor. She was playing with them.

"Would you care if I took that down?" Orga grumbled.

"Be my guest," Laxus chuckled as he got out his lacrima so that he could try and reach his Gramps or Mira.

As Laxus took a seat in the chair and began to call Fairy Tail, Orga worked on getting the painting down. The lacrima only rang for a moment before his Grandfather's face appeared on the screen. "Laxus! How are you and Orga getting along?!" his Grandfather asked happily.

Laxus heard Orga chuckle slightly before the God Slayer shoved the painting of Lady Coralie into one of the large closets. Laxus sighed before he replied, "Fine, but there is an issue with Lady Coralie. She seems to know a lot about our past and she said that we need to do what she says if we don't want something to happen to Lucy."

Master Makarov's smile vanished before he replied, "Lady Coralie does have a mysterious presence about her, but I don't think she would dare hurt Lucy because she is so close to Princess Hisui."

"Gramps, she somehow got in the room without Orga or me knowing she was approaching," Laxus admitted.

Makarov nodded his head in understanding before he replied, "You two can be at ease for the moment. The area where Lucy and Natsu are is completely protected thanks to a spell that Master Mavis knew about. Plus, only Mira and I know of their location because we are the ones that take them the supplies."

Laxus nodded his head in understanding before Master Makarov stated, "I will contact Master Sting about the situation though; however, if you both feel that the job should not be followed thru then end it. Although, I think Lady Coralie may be bluffing a bit because she isn't used to having men not fall all over her. My advice would be stay alert and watch each other's backs. If we suddenly turn down the mission then you know Master Sting and myself will stand behind you both; however, Lady Coralie is a relative of the royal family and the repercussions of ending the job with her could go beyond what we can foresee at this time."

Laxus and Orga looked at each other before Laxus told his Grandfather, "All right. We will keep you updated."

Makarov smiled before he ended with, "Good, I think Lucy would be very happy to know how well you two are getting along and sharing a room together—or so it seems that way." Then the elderly man cracked up before the lacrima went dark.

Laxus groaned because he knew that his Gramps would probably announce to everyone at the guild how he and Orga were sharing a room together now and who knows what that would do to Mira's twisted mind. No matter which way you looked at it, this mission was going to be one of the weirdest missions that Laxus had ever taken.

* * *

It was a little before 5 p.m. when Mr. Tadashi knocked on their door to deliver their suits for the evening and to give them directions on which wing the dinner party would be in. That afternoon had made Laxus feel uncomfortable. Orga had read for most of the time while Laxus had listened to his music and stared out the window at the snow. Neither of them were keen on exploring the mansion—especially alone. Laxus didn't like that he almost felt weak in this situation. He and Orga had briefly discussed the different possibilities of how Coralie was able to sneak up on them, but both were in agreement that neither should be alone with her. She clearly was up to something, but neither of them knew what.

After Laxus had finished adjusting his tie in the mirror, Orga asked, "Well are you ready?"

Laxus put on his tuxedo coat and said, "Let's just get this over with."

The two Lightning men made their way down the corridor towards the party and Laxus noticed that Orga kept fiddling with his coat jacket. Laxus groaned and asked, "What's wrong?"

Orga didn't look at him when he replied, "This jacket feels itchy."

Laxus grinned and replied, "Stop being a baby."

"Fine, do you want to trade?" Orga grumbled.

"Nah, I like that you're uncomfortable," Laxus smirked.

He was surprised when Orga chuckled at Laxus's statement; however, their amusement died when Lady Coralie came from around a corner in a shimmering emerald dress that matched her eyes perfectly. The intoxicating scent filled the air once more before she stated, "Both of you look edible."

Neither Laxus nor Orga said anything about Lady Coralie's appearance. Obviously she was stunning, but they both knew that they were just pawns in some game of hers. Laxus decided to take a play out of Natsu's book and asked abruptly, "So where's the food, I'm starving."

Lady Coralie gave Laxus a look that made the looks Evergreen gave him when she was on her period look like a sweet kitten. The young woman held out her hand and replied, "My guests are waiting this way."

Coralie took the lead and then Orga looked at him and whispered, "Have some tact next time."

"I don't like this," Laxus growled back.

"I don't either," Orga agreed, "But pissing her off won't help us figure out her game."

"I just want to take these stupid jewels and her sorry ass to Bosco and leave," Laxus grumbled in annoyance.

Orga nodded but before he could reply, Lady Coralie announced, "Everyone, these are my two escorts and hopefully future lovers—Laxus Dreyar and Orga Nanagear."

Laxus and Orga both tensed at the room full of young men and women that all looked like they should be on the front cover of  _Sorcerer's Weekly_ ; however, Laxus's body instantly went to defense when a spark of lightning rippled off of one of Orga's arms when they heard the voice of Minerva say to Lady Coralie, "You can have Laxus, but I want Orga."


	54. Chapter 54

"LUCE! I'M ALL FIRED UP!" Natsu yelled as he charged at Lucy with his body covered in flames.

Lucy grinned as she summoned out Virgo, Gemini, Scorpio, and Taurus. The Maid Spirit went below the ground just as Taurus and Scorpio did a unison raid to mess with Natsu's vision, while Gemini transformed into Juvia and preformed a water lock on Natsu.

Natsu screamed in agitation at Lucy's quick thinking and just as he evaporated the water and fell towards the ground, Virgo popped up and Natsu fell inside the hole that Virgo had just dug. Lucy was trying not to laugh as she heard Natsu's screams grow fainter as he fell down the deep hole.

"That won't hold him forever," Loke laughed as he came out on his own power.

Lucy nodded as she sent the other spirits back to save her energy. Lucy and Loke stood next to each other as Natsu's screams once again started getting closer and Lucy could feel the snow on the ground around her start to melt because of the heat Natsu was using to escape from the hole. However, Lucy just grinned as Natsu burst from the hole in the ground and yelled, "LUCE! I'M GOING TO KICK YOUR ASS!"

"Not today!" Lucy smiled at him warmly as she held onto Orga's lightning lacrima and used it to teleport out of Natsu's reach just as she summoned Draco out who immediately flung his tale at Natsu and knocked him into another tree.

Lucy tried to catch her breath from the magic and from the nauseating sensation that Orga's lightning magic had on her. She started getting a little better when he teleported her, but having to learn it on her own was a bit disorienting.

"Was it any better that time?" Loke asked.

Lucy gently fell to her knees in the snow as she tried to take deep calming breaths to ease her nerves before she replied, "Well it feels better than yesterday when I used it. It is easy enough to do, just like how he told me that his lightning would help me; however, my body just needs time to get used to becoming one with it."

Loke nodded before he reached out a hand to help her up out of the snow, just as Natsu groaned and began to shake the snow off of him. He grinned at her from across the little training field that they had made before he stated, "Luce, I can't wait for us to kick everyone's asses, but you are too damn smart."

"Well someone has to be in our crazy guild," Lucy laughed.

As they made their way towards their cottage for lunch, Loke said, "The last smart based S-Class mage was Mystogan so it's about time that someone took his place."

"Hey! Erza is smart!" Natsu argued in his friend's defense.

"I'm not saying she's not," Loke laughed, "But Erza, Laxus, Gildarts, and Mira all use their physical power more than their mental power when fighting."

"Like you," Lucy teased as she gave Natsu a gentle shove.

Natsu grinned again when he replied, "Yeah, Happy said before that thinking wasn't one of my strengths, but Lucy you are strong now physically too."

"Yeah I am, but if you and I were to go hand to hand without magic then the chances of you eventually overpowering me are still in your favor," Lucy stated as they took off their snow covered shoes before they went inside, "So I have to outsmart you to beat you, just like I'll have to against Erza, Mira, Laxus, or Gildarts. The person I'd be most worried about going up against is now stuck in Edolas."

"Really!?" Natsu asked in shock just as the two went inside to pour themselves a bowl of stew that they had put in their slow-cooker earlier that morning, "Mystogan would scare you the most?! Not Gildarts!?"

Loke shook his head as he went to retrieve the book Lucy had been reading from the night before that had been left for them, while Lucy replied to Natsu, "Yes, Mystogan would scare me the most. He would be the hardest to outsmart, plus he is, or was, strong magically. However, I have a theory on how to beat Gildarts if I have to go up against him."

"Phssshhh," Natsu grunted, "I better get to go against him again. I'll kick his ass. Plus I want to kick Laxus's ass, Erza's ass, and Minerva's ass."

"Well I guess we better tell Master that he should just let us go in an all-out fight against his four S-Class mages," Lucy replied sarcastically.

Natsu's eyes shone in excitement before he asked, "DO YOU THINK HE'D LET US DO THAT?!"

"No!" Lucy laughed as she took a seat at their kitchen table, "Don't be silly."

Natsu looked disappointed, but knew that Lucy was probably right. After they took a few bites of their soup, Natsu said, "That's fine I guess, because I still want us to kick Ice Princess's ass too."

Lucy looked sad before she replied, "I don't want to fight Gray."

"WHY NOT!?" Natsu yelled out just as Loke took a seat next to Lucy so he could read to them while the two ate.

"Because Gray is my friend," Lucy argued, "I don't want to fight any of them but especially not Gray and Levy. It'll be so sad."

Natsu snorted before he replied, "Gray will get mad if you don't fight him at your full strength."

"I know, I know," Lucy grumbled, "I'm not saying I won't—I'm just saying I don't want to."

Loke began to open the page to where Lucy had put a book mark when Natsu slammed his hand down on the table and said, "I know! You can go up against Gray, because you'll go too easy on Levy and I'll take Levy out!"

Lucy sweatdropped as she pictured an unconscious Levy with the ends of her hair burnt to a crisp with a cackling Natsu standing over her small, limp body.

"Natsu, you'll hurt her," Lucy sighed out as she took a bite of her soup.

"I won't be too rough with her," Natsu grinned as he gobbled down the rest of his soup before he grabbed another bowl.

Loke and Lucy both sighed before Loke leaned back in his chair and began to read Lucy and Natsu Fiore's rules over magical guilds' relationships with the magic council and rune knights.

* * *

"What are you reading?" Gray asked Levy as he popped one eye open after a nap.

"Those books that were left for us. I have a feeling that they are important," Levy murmured as she sat one of the books down and picked up another, "Also, you aren't wearing any clothes."

"Shit," Gray grumbled as he looked around for where he had last dropped his clothes. His training with Levy had been interesting. He had been guild mates with the small bluenette for years, but rarely spent any time a lone with her.

After he put on his boxers, Gray looked at his guild mate and asked, "I was thinking we should fight each other this afternoon."

Levy's face heated up as she stammered out, "W-what!?"

Gray just smirked before he replied, "We've been doing a lot of training on our own, but if I know Natsu then he and Lucy will be going at each other every day. I think we should too. You need to be prepared if you go up against Natsu or Gajeel."

"I'll be fine," Levy grumbled as she narrowed her eyes at the book.

"They are significantly stronger than you," Gray snorted.

"Solid Script Tape," Levy muttered out just as a piece of tape covered Gray's mouth to shut him up, "Yes they are, but I am smarter. Plus clearly smarter than you."

Gray painfully removed the tape from his mouth before he replied, "Sorry, I just really want to win."

"AND I DON'T?!" Levy snapped at the Ice-Mage as she slammed the book shut.

Gray's eyes widened at the sudden outburst from the normally calm Fairy Tail mage. However, Levy didn't let up, "How dare you insinuate that because I'm not all solid muscle like the rest of you morons that I am any less of a mage! I actually get to keep most of my rewards you dumbass, because I don't destroy every goddamn thing in sight!"

Gray put his hands up in his defense to try and calm Levy down from her sudden rampage; however, the blueneete wasn't letting up, "Fine! We will practice every day and every day I will outsmart you! You wouldn't stand a chance against Lucy and Natsu without me, because Natsu is your equal and now Lucy probably is too in strength but Lucy is a hell of a lot smarter than anyone else on Team Natsu!"

"Levy," Gray said with a smirk.

"WHAT?!" Levy snapped at him.

"I'm sorry," Gray replied almost timidly.

Levy's anger quickly vanished before she added, "I'm sorry too. These past two weeks have been hard."

Gray just nodded in agreement with Levy. It was hard training and living with someone that you weren't used to. He assumed that Natsu and Lucy had it the easiest, but then Gray knew just how messy Natsu was and unless Lucy could keep the Dragon Slayer in check, then she was probably ready to pull her own hair out.

Finally Levy added, "I think fighting each other would be wise, but I also think you should read these books. I have a feeling we will need to know this information."

Gray just nodded before he grinned at Levy and said, "Let's make sure to kick Natsu's and Lucy's asses ok?"

Levy just laughed and said, "Sure, sounds good."

* * *

Freed looked up from his book that he had been reading to see Juvia sitting on the porch with him reading one of the other books. The rune mage had been slightly surprised at how quickly Juvia agreed to read the books that he suggested that had been left for them, while he knew that she was a powerful mage and once a former S-Class mage—he hadn't been too sure about her mental state since she was always worked up about Gray. Freed didn't like prying into people's personal lives, that was more of Evergreen's and Mira's idea of a good time. However, Freed couldn't quite see what Juvia saw in Gray. Gray had never shown Juvia any sort of affection or any attempt at starting a relationship with the water woman. So why was she so hung up on him? Two weeks alone with her left Freed more and more curious.

The green haired man finally sat his book down before he took a sip of his tea and asked, "Juvia, if we go up against Gray—what will you do?"

Juvia's eyes widened in shock at the sudden conversation before she stammered out, "G-Gray-sama said I needed to go all out, but Juvia doesn't want to hurt Gray-sama."

Freed nodded his head and asked, "Is it because of Phantom Lord?" He only knew what had happened between Gray and Juvia because of Mira, but something about it didn't sit right with Freed.

Juvia nodded her head and replied, "Juvia loves Gray-sama."

"But why?" Freed asked in an almost harsh tone.

He thought he had crossed a line when a flash of anger appeared in Juvia's eyes for a brief moment, before her eyes filled with sadness. Juvia waited a moment before she replied, "Gray-sama showed Juvia that she didn't have to be alone."

Freed thought about that for a moment before he carefully added, "But even without Gray you are not alone Juvia." Juvia looked up at Freed before the Rune Mage continued, "The day of Fantasia you tried to protect Cana by taking on one of Laxus's lightning lacrimas and lived. You have a big heart that deserves to be cherished. I'm sorry, but I think you are too good for Gray."

"Juvia doesn't deserve love though," Juvia whispered out.

Freed sat his tea down before he replied, "Everyone deserves love. If you think you don't because of Phantom Lord, then that would mean that I don't deserve love because of Fantasia, but thankfully Mira loves me anyways. However, I often feel that I don't deserve her love too."

Juvia sat stunned by Freed's honesty, but the Rune Mage couldn't help it. His mind ran over the past year and he realized that Juvia did a lot of missions alone. Sometimes he would see the woman go with Gajeel and Lily, but for the most part she still kept to herself—waiting for Gray to throw her any sort of affection. Freed knew it wasn't his place to change his team's dynamics, but somehow he knew Laxus wouldn't mind.

"After the exams, would you like to go on some missions with our team?" Freed asked. If Fantasia taught him anything, it was that no Fairy Tail member should ever feel alone.

Juvia smiled faintly at Freed before she replied, "Juvia would like that."

* * *

Gajeel was sitting on the porch biting a nail with his feet propped up when a naked and drunk Cana stormed out of the bathroom and yelled, "You motherfucker! How many times have I asked you to put the toilet seat down!?"

Gajeel barely missed the empty bottle of liquor that was thrown at him when he yelled, "Put some goddamn clothes on woman!"

"I'll put some clothes on when you start putting the seat down!" Cana snapped back after she hiccupped.

"Guess you'll be naked a lot," Gajeel murmured out.

Cana had no idea what came over her, usually she could brush off assholes and act like nothing was wrong, but being stuck in a cabin with this man for two whole weeks with no escape was driving her crazy. She grabbed her bag and was about to blast him with one of her cards when an iron rod shot across the space between them and knocked her bag into the wall.

She turned around to see Gajeel leaned back again before the Iron Dragon slayer stated grumpily, "That'd be a bad idea. Now put some clothes on."

Cana internally screamed as she chucked a book that had been left for them at Gajeel's head, but missed him again.

The Iron Dragon slayer stood up and stomped over to Cana before he slammed his hands down on either side of her head, pinning her back up against the wall and growled, "Stop throwing things at me."

"Stop being a fucktard," Cana spat out but didn't back down from Gajeel's intense gaze.

"You are a pain in the ass, you know that?" Gajeel snapped at her.

"You just can't handle a strong, independent woman!" Cana shot back.

Gajeel snorted, "You couldn't handle me, honey."

"I've handled worse than you," Cana added breathily because she could see Gajeel's eyes start to roam down her body, "You wouldn't be able to keep up."

"I'm a Dragon Slayer," Gajeel let out a throaty groan as his body shifted closer to hers.

"Means nothing if you tire easily," Cana whispered.

The two volatile mages looked at one another as the snow began to fall outside again before Gajeel crashed his lips down onto Cana's and the card mage wrapped her legs around his torso.

* * *

Lucy let out a faint sigh as she rolled over on her futon. Natsu was snoring heavily next to her, but there was another reason why Lucy couldn't sleep—Orga and Laxus. While she was doing her best to stay focused on training, any spare moment she had—the two men always popped up. Her mind often wandered to those quiet moments with Orga on the mountain or with Laxus at the guild. She had no idea what she had gotten herself into, but tonight's thoughts were different. Something wasn't right.

The moon was high in the sky and the world looked beautiful as the moonlight glistened off of the freshly fallen snow. Lucy carefully stood up and wrapped her robe around her tighter before she stepped outside. The fresh air seemed to help her nerves, but something was still eating at the pit of her stomach. She looked down at the bracelet that Laxus had given her as she touched Orga's lacrima. She bit her lip as she whispered out, "I hope that they are ok."


	55. Chapter 55

"Why the grumpy face?" Minerva purred at Orga, "I'm here on behalf of my friend."

Neither Orga nor Laxus replied when Minerva and Lady Coralie linked arms and Coralie stated, "She's a guest in my home, Orga. I expect her to be treated with the same respect as myself."

Laxus had no idea how Orga was able to stay so calm. He felt like he was going to break his own teeth because he was clenching his jaw so tight.

He could hear whispers about the room on whether Lady Coralie or Minerva would sleep with Orga tonight and something inside of Laxus was about to snap when Orga replied to Lady Coralie, "Laxus and I are under no obligation to complete this quest. I couldn't give a rat's ass if you are related to the Princess or not and neither Fairy Tail nor Sabertooth put up with bullshit from clients. Our Masters will back us up if you have a problem with it and I believe Master Makarov is quite close with the King as well as several Fairy Tail members are close with the Princess. You will excuse us from this party or the job is null and void. The only way we will continue the mission in the morning is if you apologize for your behavior; however, we will not be staying here."

Laxus watched Minerva's eyes narrow at Orga so intensely that he was surprised that the woman didn't break the glass she was holding. This situation was going downhill fast. Laxus had no problem with what Orga had said, but he didn't like the eerie feeling that was in the air. Plus, Mr. Tadashi had appeared back in the room after Orga's speech and he looked at the two men like he was ready to slit their throats.

"How dare you speak to me like that," Lady Coralie seethed from between her teeth. Everyone in the party quickly stepped back except for Minerva and Mr. Tadashi.

Laxus didn't care what the woman had to say and nodded towards Orga as though Lady Coralie never even spoke and asked, "You ready to go?"

The room had gone deathly silent, because Lady Coralie's guests had never seen anyone talk back to their friend before. Then just as the two men reached the door, Lady Coralie spoke out, "I warned you that something might happen to your sweet, precious Lucy."

Laxus had had it; however, Orga took the lead again and said in a monotone voice, "First of all, only two people in all of Earthland know of where Lucy is right this second. Secondly, you said yourself that you watched her fight Jura. Do you really think you have minions stronger than a Wizard Saint? Second, Lucy and Princess Hisui are extremely close. If something were to happen to Lucy then the Princess would demand to know what happened and you have two witnesses that most of Fiore thinks are natural enemies. Yet, if Laxus and I both say that you threatened Lucy then you would be the one in trouble."

Laxus's stormy eyes glanced over at Lady Coralie who looked taken aback that Orga did not take her threat more seriously, but in fact turned the threat back around onto her. While what Orga said was true, even Laxus didn't know where Lucy and Natsu were, Laxus still didn't like the fact that someone threatened Lucy in front of him. He could sense that Orga was pissed off about it too, but he was amazed that the green haired man next to him could hide his anger so well and have so much faith in Lucy.

"Get out of my house," Lady Coralie demanded instantly.

"Gladly," Orga and Laxus murmured in agreement as they made their way back to their room to grab their things before they got the hell out of there.

* * *

The two men sighed in relief once they stepped outside into the fresh air. The snow had started falling again and the two could hear the music from the party pick back up, but they could still see Mr. Tadashi glaring at them through one of the windows.

Laxus slung his pack over his shoulder and grumbled, "Let's get the hell out of here."

Orga nodded in agreement as the two walked out of the estate's courtyard. Laxus was surprised that the woman gave up so easily, or that Minerva didn't mouth off more, but he still couldn't help that the two women might indeed take their anger out on Lucy. Why did Orga seem so calm? How could he seem so calm?

However, before Laxus could ask, the God Slayer said, "We should probably find a place to stay and see if she apologizes."

Laxus harrumphed and replied, "I hope she doesn't so that this mission can just be over with."

Orga nodded his head in agreement before the two went to find an inn as far away from Lady Coralie's estate as possible.

* * *

After the two got checked in, the two had agreed that they needed to grab and drink and some food. There was a pub adjacent from their inn and Laxus wasn't sure why, nor would he ever admit it, but being with Orga wasn't overly terrible. Orga was like himself and hardly spoke unless he was spoken to. Unless Orga was trying to annoy Laxus, which the God Slayer seemed to enjoy doing. But ever since their run in with Lady Coralie and Minerva, Orga had been very quiet. Laxus appreciated the silence.

"All the seats at the bar are taken," Orga sighed, breaking Laxus's concentration.

Laxus let out a sigh too as the two men made their way to a booth in the corner. Laxus could hear the men and women in the bar murmur various things about him and Orga _; "Is that Laxus from Fairy Tail and Orga from Sabertooth?" "Aren't they supposed to hate each other?"_

Laxus let out a low growl and snapped his head around to find the woman that whispered, " _Oh my god, do you think they are on a date?!"_

Orga let out a faint chuckle and said to Laxus, "You wish I was on a date with you. I'm quite the catch."

"Shut the fuck up," Laxus snapped in annoyance as they took a seat at their table.

Orga just sighed as he slid into his side of the booth and leaned his head back against the wall. The God Slayer closed his eyes and replied, "You need to learn to not take yourself so seriously."

Laxus didn't reply as he sat across from his lightning comrade. A mutual silence fell between the two before their waiter came and took their order and got them started on their first round of beers. However, Laxus remained uncomfortable—not because of Orga, but because of the situation and the mission that they were on. The two would wait and see if Lady Coralie apologized in the morning, but until then he had to trust in his Gramps and believe that Mavis's spell really had Lucy and Natsu cloaked...and he had to trust Orga—which he hated.

After the waiter sat their food down and brought them a few more mugs of beer, Laxus finally looked across the table at the man opposite of him. Orga had just taken a drink of his second beer when Laxus asked in a low and agitated voice, "How do you do it?"

Orga reached for his buffalo wings and asked, "Do what?"

Laxus took a bite of his burger and replied, "How do you...or how can you, stay so calm when it comes to Lucy being in danger? I mean, I wanted to blast all of those snobbish dicks at the party then wanted to demand from my Gramps her location so I could go get her. Yet here you are calmly drinking a beer like it's nothing."

Orga looked up from his food at Laxus before he replied, "First of all, I wanted to blast Lady Coralie's estate down to the ground for her threatening Lucy, but that wouldn't have done anything but probably land us both in the Magic Council's prison."

Laxus took a swig of his beer as Orga continued, "Honestly, I don't know what I'd do if something were to happen to Lucy. I think I'd feel like dying."

Laxus looked down at his food because he could hear the pained sound in Orga's voice before the God Slayer added, "However, I have to believe that they were bluffing. You heard your Master earlier, plus there's no way Minerva could beat Lucy now—especially with Natsu there. Plus, she has my lightning and the bracelet you gave her so no one can take away her keys. As much as I love her and want to protect her, I know she's capable of defending herself against anything."

"Love?" Laxus asked as he arched his brow.

"Yes, I am in love with her," Orga replied in a brisk tone, "Is that so hard to believe?"

Laxus didn't reply. He had technically known Lucy longer and had seen how easy it is for people to love her, not just be in love with her, but truly love her as a friend. Her very presence seemed to demand an unspoken loyalty. How could the man across from him already be so certain though?

"Do you want to marry her?" Laxus asked in a shocked and scoffed voice.

"Someday," Orga admitted honestly.

Laxus just let out a deep breath. This sucked and he didn't think it was fair before he added, "How can you have so much faith in her too? Or that she's strong enough to take on Minerva? Besides, why the fuck does Minerva want to jump your bones again so fucking badly?"

Orga took another drink of his beer before he replied, "Minerva is just a power hungry woman who thinks she has been slighted. In regards to Lucy though, I saw her nearly break on top of Samui Yama and that magic was some of the strongest I had ever felt, until I felt hers."

Laxus looked up at the man across from him and asked, "Are you talking about that light? From the spell that she cast?"

Orga nodded his head and answered, "She was scared, yet she faced her fears. Then when she cast Judicium Stellerum, it was the most amazing and terrifying magic I had ever felt."

Laxus remembered seeing the light that had saved them all in Shirotsume, but his doubt remained present. Laxus could tell Orga was studying him before the Sabertooth mage stated bluntly, "If you really want to be with her then you have to trust that she's capable without you."

"You don't know what the hell you're talking about," Laxus snapped back.

Orga took a deep inhale before he added, "I don't like the idea of you being with her obviously, but if you are then you need to treat her right and realize that she doesn't need you."

"Well she sure as hell doesn't need you either," Laxus barked at Orga.

"I know," Orga sighed, "That's kind of my point."

Laxus was pissed. He was tired or talking and clearly he had just gotten more anxious about everything. Everything Orga was saying was nonsense. Lucy was sweet and kind. He knew she was stronger, but that didn't take away his desire to protect her.

Finally Orga stated in a firm tone, "Lucy must have told you, or some of you, why I had to help her on the mountain and not you."

Laxus nodded his head in understanding. He did remember the day Lucy returned to Fairy Tail and she explained to his Gramps, her team, and to him on how the spell Andromeda had casted would have corrupted anyone other than a Celestial Mage or a God Slayer. To break the spell required the strongest of both—Lucy and Orga. Still it pissed him off.

"I know she told us why, but it's still bullshit," Laxus snapped at Orga.

The God Slayer sat his beer down before he replied, "What is bullshit about it exactly?"

"You got all of this uninterrupted time with her. I feel like every time I try to be with her then something happens. We get in a fight or she has to leave. Plus her spirits adore you and fucking despise me," Laxus admitted. He had no idea why he was being so honest with his competitor and he was starting to think that there was some sort of truth serum in his beer.

"You are also her guild mate and have had a lot more opportunities to be with her than me," Orga half-heartedly laughed.

"Your point?!" Laxus practically barked back.

A few people around them glanced over because of Laxus's raised voice; however, Orga remained calm, "My point is, Lucy is not a game. We aren't competing with each other for her heart. Everything is in Lucy's hands. Does she really seem like the type to just lead people on or not think things through?"

Laxus didn't like where this was going but he answered, "No."

"Exactly," Orga sighed, "If anything, she overthinks everything."

Laxus couldn't help but smirk a little at the comment. She was probably the only one on her team that did any thinking at all. Lucy was on par with Freed and Levy in the overthinking category. Without those three, he had no idea what would happen to Fairy Tail. The IQ would definitely drop.

Then Orga added, "My point with all of this is, you have to trust Lucy. Let's say you could have gone to the mountain with her. How do you think you would have handled watching her break down or fight an incredibly dark magic more or less alone?"

Laxus thought about the question for a moment. Granted he didn't know what Orga meant by Lucy breaking down, but it couldn't have been as dramatic as Orga was making it sound.

Then before Laxus could reply, Orga stated, "I don't think you could have done it."

"What the fuck do you know?" Laxus growled.

Orga arched his brow at Laxus and Laxus could tell that Orga was dead serious when the God Slayer clarified, "You are freaking out and doubting that she could even beat Minerva even though you watched her singlehandedly practically defeat Jura—in a cleaner fashion than even you did by the way. You just admitted that you wanted to go find her and keep her safe. You would have gotten yourself and her killed because you keep thinking that you know better or that you are stronger. If you want to be with her, you've got to stop underestimating her. It's starting to fucking piss me off."

"You can go fuck off," Laxus snapped before he stood up and grabbed his coat.

Orga just snorted, but Laxus didn't want to hear any more. He felt like his brain was about to explode with information. He didn't want to be here on this stupid mission, he didn't want to hear about how he would have fucked up the mission that Lucy went on, and he didn't want to hear about how Orga already knew that he loved Lucy. All he wanted was for Lucy to be safe and happy because that is what she deserved and he wanted to be the one to give that to her.

* * *

Laxus wasn't ready to go back to the inn. He didn't know if Orga would try to talk to him again he just wanted to be left alone. As he walked around outside in the snow, all he could picture was Lucy's smile. She was a ray of sun that always seemed to shine through the clouds. He didn't want anyone to take that sunshine away.

Suddenly, Laxus froze when he heard the voice of Lady Coralie whisper behind him, "Laxus, I need your help."


	56. Chapter 56

"What the fuck do you want?" Laxus growled because once again Lady Coralie had snuck up on him.

Lady Coralie looked around nervously then Laxus barked out, "Where is Minerva or your creepy butler hiding?"

Lady Coralie looked down at the snow before she replied, "They don't know I am here. I snuck away from the party."

Laxus let out a sigh and asked, "Well, what the fuck do you want? You look like you are about to freeze to death."

The woman only had a light fur shawl wrapped around her shoulders and she was clearly shivering from the snow. Lady Coralie looked at him and whispered, "I am sorry for how I treated you and Orga, but you should know that I had to act that way in order to survive."

Laxus just rolled his eyes, but then for the first time he could really smell and sense Lady Coralie. He watched as she held out her hand towards his and dropped a little lacrima into his hand. She nodded towards it and said, "That is how I can keep sneaking up on you and that is how your mind gets slightly foggy from time to time. Although you and Orga seem to be more immune to its effects than most men."

"Why are you telling me all this?" Laxus asked slightly confused. He could feel the powerful magic surging through the tiny lacrima in the palm of his hand.

He watched as Lady Coralie looked around nervously before she whispered, "I have to be quick before they notice I am gone."

"Who?" Laxus demanded to know.

"Mr. Tadashi and Minerva," Lady Coralie said in a nervous voice.

The woman before him was not the same woman he had met earlier. The woman from before was cold and calculating, this woman looked like she was about to fall apart in fear at any second. Finally Laxus was about to snap again when he said, "You have about ten seconds to explain before I walk away."

"Fine!" Lady Coralie said in a flustered tone, "Please know I am sorry and I do need your help as well as Orga's. Jaque Moreau does indeed want to marry me and I want to marry him. He is the only person that knows the truth."

"The truth about what?" Laxus asked now even more confused.

Lady Coralie looked back in the direction towards her estate before she replied, "You may have heard rumors about my late husbands and how I am a lecherous woman, but all of that is a lie. I did not kill my late husbands, nor did I want to marry them. Hell I never even slept with any of them."

"Then who did? Not the sleeping part, but the murder," Laxus asked in disbelief.

"The same man who makes me wear that lacrima," Lady Coralie stated as she nodded towards the lacrima in Laxus's hand, "Mr. Tadashi. But I can't prove it and neither can the Rune Knights or Hisui."

There was a brief silence between the two before Laxus asked, "Why the fuck should I believe you?"

Lady Coralie took her lacrima back and stated, "I don't expect you to, but I asked for yours and Orga's help because you are friends with Lucy."

Laxus froze at the sound of Lucy's name before Lady Coralie continued, "I am not friends with Minerva and I can explain more later, just please help me because I will come to find you in the morning; however, Mr. Tadashi will not let me go alone and I will be rude again until we can manage to sneak away to speak. Just know that I desperately need your help. I just want to be free and I would have gone to Lucy but I found out from Hisui that she is in training to become an S-Class mage."

Then before Laxus could get any more information out of Lady Coralie, the woman ran off into the night. Laxus stood and stared at the tracks from where Lady Coralie had disappeared from before he whispered to himself, "What kind of messed up shit is this?"

* * *

As Laxus walked back to his and Orga's inn, he couldn't help but wonder if Lady Coralie was telling the truth or had a very elaborate lie. He didn't sense that she was lying once the woman had removed the lacrima around her neck, yet he had no idea why Mr. Tadashi would make Lady Coralie marry all of those men—plus what did all that have to do with Minerva. None of it made sense.

Laxus internally growled when he sensed Orga also approaching the inn. The God Slayer looked at him and stated, "You look worse than when you stormed out earlier."

"Shut the fuck up," Laxus snapped, "We have to talk about this mission and make a decision."

Orga raised a quizzical brow at him then shrugged before the Sabertooth Mage followed him. The two made their way up to their adjoining rooms and once the door shut behind Orga, the God Slayer asked, "What else is there to discuss about this mission?"

"I ran into Lady Coralie after I stepped out earlier when you were being your usual dick self," Laxus grumbled.

Orga rolled his eyes at the child-like comment before he asked, "Well, what did Lady Coralie want?"

Laxus took a seat on the edge of his bed before he replied, "She said she needed our help and that it is actually her butler that keeps killing her husbands. She had a lacrima around her neck and that seems to mask her a lot of the time."

"So that's why we can't sense her?" Orga asked in slight disbelief, "And what does that have to do with her creepy butler?"

"I don't know," Laxus admitted in annoyance, "But I couldn't sense that she lying once she took it off and handed it to me. She seemed to be telling the truth."

There was a brief pause of silence between the two as they both thought about how it could possibly be a trap or if Lady Coralie could have been telling the truth. Then finally Laxus said, "What I don't get is why she would pretend to do all this or what this has to do with Minerva. She also said that she actually wanted to marry this Jaque Moreau guy and that if Lucy wasn't off training then she would have gone to her for help."

Orga's and Laxus's eyes met before the God Slayer added, "She could just be saying that because she knows we care for Lucy and don't want to disappoint her."

Laxus nodded in agreement before he asked, "Do you know what Minerva's involvement would be? Or why the two of them are friends or how they met?"

Orga shook his head no before he replied, "Minerva and I didn't speak much about our personal lives before the Games."

"Can't blame you there," Laxus admitted.

"What if we call this Jaque guy and ask a few questions ourselves?" Orga suggested.

"That would be a start," Laxus agreed as he reached for his communication lacrima before he added, "I'll contact Mira and have her patch us through somehow. She or Gramps should know how to get ahold of this guy."

* * *

Several hours passed and Orga had gone back to his room to catch some sleep while they waited for a message from Jaque. Laxus had gotten ahold of Mira just before she was closing down the guild for the night and told her everything that had transpired and how they needed her or his Gramp's help in tracking down Jaque Moreau.

Laxus couldn't sleep as he waited for news from either Mira or his Gramps. All he could think about was Lucy and everything Orga had ripped into him about earlier. He hated admitting to himself that the God Slayer was right, or that Orga could sleep so peacefully in the room next to him. Everything was pissing him off. He had no idea or no real way of knowing how Lucy and Orga got so close while Orga was training her. Or how Lucy could forgive everyone so goddamn easy.

A deep scowl settled on Laxus's face as he thought about Lucy's positive outlook and how she always tried to see the good in everyone. Then the question he had been trying to bury down deep finally surfaced; was he really that different to Lucy than Orga? He thought about the time after Lucy had first joined the guild and Mira had called for his help because Lucy was in danger and his Gramps was hurt. He flat out told them no, unless Lucy became his. Then everyone got more hurt and Lucy had the shit beaten out of her by Gajeel—who she also forgave. The fact that he did nothing and even turned down their plea for help made him sick to his stomach now.

He looked at the wall that Orga was on the opposite side of and realized that Orga actually didn't act much different than he once did—except Orga wasn't in Lucy's guild and had no mutual bond with her. When Minerva beat the shit out of Lucy, all Orga did was laugh. While the memory made Laxus's blood boil, Orga had no relationship with Lucy. He had no connection with her and he couldn't control the actions of his guild mate. However, Laxus had had the chance to help Lucy and refused when she was his nakama. He finally started to see everything that his Gramps, Master Mavis, and everyone else had been saying; Orga and he are evenly matched and Lucy cares for them both.

Laxus let out a heavy sigh when he realized he had absolutely no reason to hate Orga at all. Orga helped Lucy when she needed it, made her stronger, stood by her, and that was more than he had ever done for her.

Laxus had just closed his eyes when his communication lacrima lit up. The Dragon Slayer picked it up and put it near his face just as he saw his Gramps looking at him with a troubled expression.

"Sup Gramps?" Laxus yawned out.

"Hello My Boy, is Orga around?" Master Makarov asked in a serious tone.

Laxus nodded and replied, "He's in his room."

"Please get him," Master Makarov stated, "I think you both need to hear what I am about to say."

Laxus could tell that his Gramps wasn't messing around when he got up and rapped his knuckles against Orga's door and said, "Hey, my Gramps needs to talk to us."

He could tell Orga instantly awoke because of his God Slayer abilities before the Sabertooth Mage replied, "Be there in a sec."

Laxus went and sat back down on his bed and looked at his Gramps before he asked, "Did you get ahold of this Jaque dude?"

Makarov nodded before he replied, "Indeed I did."

A moment later, Orga entered Laxus's room and nodded his head to indicate that he was ready to listen. Laxus looked back at his Gramps again before he said, "We are both ready."

Master Makarov took a deep breath before he told the two men, "Mira and I just got done speaking with Jaque Moreau and from what we can tell, what Lady Coralie told Laxus tonight is true."

Laxus and Orga both looked at each other before Master Makarov continued, "I had to go through a series of questions before Jaque agreed to reveal any details, because Jaque himself is blind and it made our conversation through the communication lacrima a little more difficult."

Laxus was confused before Makarov added, "He had to be certain that he could trust me in order to protect Lady Coralie. The truth of the matter is, Lady Coralie's butler, Mr. Tadashi, had worked for Minerva's father and were very close friends. Mr. Tadashi was actually one of the first members of Sabertooth when it was founded, but Jiemma kept the man's identity a secret. Jiemma and Mr. Tadashi had come up with a way to exploit the wealthy men of Fiore by using Lady Coralie and Mr. Tadashi's magic. However, what Mr. Tadashi can do is actually still a mystery."

Laxus still wasn't convinced when he asked, "How so?"

"Well, before Lady Coralie's parents were mysteriously found dead, Mr. Tadashi came into their service. He worked his way up and gained their absolute loyalty until one day they were dead. However, there was never any evidence to indicate that the two were even murdered. It was though as the two died in their sleep," Master Makarov informed them, "The deaths of Lady Coralie's husbands are often the same and since they were all older men, no one really questioned them dying in their sleep. Lady Coralie had confided in Princess Hisui of her fears, and only Hisui until Lady Coralie met Jaque, but without evidence Mr. Tadashi would go free and possibly after her. Also, since Lady Coralie is of royal blood—the royal family takes this threat very seriously that if Mr. Tadashi were to discover that Lady Coralie is on to him—then she too will end up dead."

"Gramps that sounds like a lot of hearsay," Laxus sighed.

"Indeed," Makarov agreed, "However, because of Jaque Moreau, we know Lady Coralie is telling the truth."

"How so?" Orga asked curiously.

"Because of his magic," Makarov smiled, "Although Jaque Moreau may be physically blind, his magic allows him to see inside of people's souls if they let him."

"What do you mean? Like that Cobra dude?" Laxus asked.

"Yes and no," Makarov stated, "You see Jaque and Lady Coralie ran into each other during one of Hisui's dinners. When the two were introduced and Jaque took Lady Coralie's hand for the first time, her memories and soul flooded into Jaque's mind—filling it with every ounce of who she actually was and the danger she was in. The two were able to communicate in this way, but then eventually the two fell in love. Jaque does intend to marry Lady Coralie, but if Mr. Tadashi is not stopped then he will end up dead as well and Lady Coralie will be used for some other means."

"So that is why they wanted our help?" Orga asked, "Because we might be able to figure out or sense what that bastard is up to?"

"Indeed," Makarov replied, "And it is true, Lady Coralie knew Lucy as a young girl. Their fathers were friends and she was going to ask Lucy for help when Lady Coralie saw that Lucy had Gemini. Princess Hisui explained to Lady Coralie how Gemini could copy anyone that Lucy was stronger than and read their thoughts."

There were a few moments of silence before Laxus asked, "There is still one thing that bothers me, what does this have to do with Jiemma and Minerva?"

"As far as I know, Mr. Tadashi helped fund many of Sabertooth's side projects when Jiemma was Master of the guild. The type of projects that regular members would not know, but Minerva might," Makarov stated, "As for Minerva's current involvement, she along with Mr. Tadashi probably believe that you two just signed up for an escort job because of the Fall Festival. Minerva is probably just there to rile Orga up."

"Can't they just lock up the guy and be done with it?" Laxus asked, "If they know he's guilty then this is all for nothing."

"They need proof, other than Lady Coralie's suspicion," Makarov informed them, "The royal family is also wary because they do not know if a spell is already in place over Lady Coralie and if Mr. Tadashi is taken into custody then Lady Coralie might die soon thereafter."

"So our actual job is to get Lady Coralie to safety and figure out how Mr. Tadashi has been killing off all of these rich people?" Orga asked.

"Precisely," Mater Makarov smiled.

"Sounds like it will be annoying as hell," Laxus grumbled.

Makarov chuckled a bit before he added, "There is one other thing."

Orga and Laxus both looked at the tiny Master smiling at them from the lacrima screen and stated with an amused look, "If you two can't cooperate and figure this out by the end of the week, then I will have no choice but to pull Lucy out of training, which would disqualify her from becoming an S-Class mage, so that she can use Gemini to read Mr. Tadashi's mind and figure out his plan."

Laxus and Orga both looked at each other just as Makarov finished saying, "And I know that neither of you would want that to happen."

* * *

**A few days later…**

Lucy was sitting in a dark room when she asked, "Hello, is anyone there?"

There was an eerie silence before a raspy voice replied, "Lucy…"

Lucy spun around towards the direction of the voice and saw Laxus behind her coughing up blood.

"LAXUS!" Lucy screamed as she ran towards the Dragon Slayer. Then just as she reached him, she saw Orga lying next to him.

"Orga," Lucy whispered as tears filled her eyes and she knelt down between the two, "What's wrong? What happened?"

When Orga tried to raise his head to look at her, she saw scorch marks all over his face and body. Then she heard Laxus puking up more blood behind her as she turned to face him too.

"Who did this to you?!" Lucy cried out to them.

Then before either could answer, Lucy heard the dark chuckle of a man before an unfamiliar voice said, "Before I kill you both, I will find Lucy Heartfilia and make you watch as I torture her and kill her. Two of the strongest mages in the land can't stop my plans."

Lucy heard the man's laughter get louder as she screamed at the darkness, "I WON'T LET YOU TOUCH THEM!"

* * *

"LUCE WAKE UP!" Natsu yelled.

Lucy's eyes shot open to see Natsu staring back at her with a worried face. Her body was trembling and drenched in sweat. Tears were streaming down her face and all she could say was, "Oh Natsu…"

Her best friend jumped up and said, "I'll grab you a cold wash cloth."

Lucy barely registered what the Dragon Slayer said before he darted back into the room with the damp cloth. She thanked him with a weak voice before Natsu asked, "Luce, what's wrong?"

Lucy tried to wipe away her tears as she choked out, "Nightmare. Orga and Laxus…"

Natsu took a deep inhale as he sat down next to Lucy on her cot. He tried to comfort his friend when he said, "Luce, I'm sure they are fine. It is Laxus and Orga we are talking about. Nothing can hurt them."

Lucy looked at her friend in disbelief before she replied, "Natsu, I'm not so sure that it was just a nightmare."


	57. Chapter 57

Orga let out a heavy sigh after he and Laxus grabbed some breakfast at the restaurant near their inn. Orga knew that Laxus had said that Lady Coralie would come back to them and "apologize" in the morning, but her butler would be with them—and most likely Minerva would be in tow too. Orga hardly got any sleep last night after Master Makarov stated that if he and Laxus couldn't work together then he would pull Lucy out of the S-Class exams. Orga didn't want that. He knew how much Lucy had first doubted herself when they went on their mission together. She didn't doubt herself nearly as much now, but he knew that if Lucy couldn't compete with the rest of her friends then those feelings might return and he didn't want that to happen to her.

Laxus looked up from his food and saw the deep scowl set in Orga's face. The Dragon Slayer rolled his eyes before he grumbled, "We won't let Gramps pull Blondie out of the exams."

Orga met Laxus's eyes before the Dragon Slayer continued, "Like that little piss-ant could out sense two Slayers. We will figure it out and Blondie will never have to know."

"I'm sure she will find out that we had to do a mission together though," Orga sighed again as he finished his plate of food.

Laxus shrugged and replied, "I'm sure our guild will blab to Lucy as soon as she is home about you and me going on a mission together. But what I meant was, she won't have to know or worry that one of her friends is being blackmailed by some jewel hungry, murdering psychopath."

Orga nodded his head in agreement before Laxus asked, "What is your plan if Minerva tags along?"

"Hopefully she has enough sense to stay away," Orga growled, "Especially if we go with the plan we discussed last night after we talked to your Grandfather."

"She probably won't back off though if her dick of a dad is somehow involved," Laxus replied after he drank some of his orange juice.

"True, but they won't risk themselves and get caught. They let other people do most of their dirty work. Plus, other than ignore her, I'm not sure there is a whole lot I can do," Orga replied.

Laxus just raised his eyebrows at Orga's response. However, even Laxus didn't know how he would handle an ex like Minerva. All of the girls he used to fuck in the past knew that there was nothing special between them, it was just sex. Yet Minerva saw Lucy as an enemy—thus making her territory magic explode in anger. She was an unpredictable and dangerous enemy to have.

Finally, Laxus's and Orga's senses went on high alert when they sensed their waiter coming toward them. They could smell fear and anxiety rolling off of him. The two looked at each other when the waiter stuttered out, "E-excuse me M-Mr. D-Dreyar. M-Mr. N-Nanagear…the L-Lady C-C-Coralie is here to see you."

"Send her over," Orga replied in his monotone voice.

The waiter gulped when he replied, "S-she w-w-wants you to come to her."

Laxus and Orga looked at each other again before Laxus replied in his annoyed voice, "I don't take orders from anyone. If she wants to talk to us, then she can get her ass over here and talk. If she doesn't like my conditions then she can leave us the fuck alone."

Orga felt a cold chill go up his spine when he heard Minerva's voice from behind him say, "Well, well, well, isn't the almighty Laxus Dreyar in a fine mood this morning."

Lady Coralie and Mr. Tadashi followed Minerva over to Laxus's and Orga's table. Lady Coralie had not been lying to Laxus last night. She looked just as cold and stuck up as the first time they met. However, Minerva looked like the cat that had just ate the cream when she sat down in the chair next to Orga and said, "My dear sweet friend has come here to ask for your help once more."

Laxus would never admit this to Orga, but he was impressed by the God Slayer's composure when Orga didn't even look at Minerva. Laxus didn't like fighting against women, even when it was absolutely necessary during missions. However, he wanted to zap Minerva's ass all the way out the door. What really pissed him off was how Minerva could seem to sense that too. He looked over at the former Sabertooth Mage and he scowled when she met his eyes and winked at him.

Just then, Lady Coralie walked up and stood at the end of the table before she stated, "Mr. Dreyar and Mr. Nanagear, I will pay you triple for what was originally offered if you would escort us all, and my jewels, to Bosco so that I may strike an alliance with the Moreau family."

Orga glanced over at Mr. Tadashi who was eyeing both him and Laxus. Orga tried to suppress a growl when he felt Minerva brush up against him. The lacrima around Lady Coralie's neck was infuriating his senses. He took one last drink of his coffee before he began the plan that he and Laxus had discussed last night and said, "We will go if Lady Coralie removes the magical lacrima from around her neck. We are Slayers and can sense when people are trying to cloud our senses."

Laxus smirked from behind his glass when he saw Mr. Tadashi's fists clench in anger. Their plan was bold and dangerous, but they knew that no matter what, they could easily take out Mr. Tadashi if necessary. If the man openly attacked them then that is all the Rune Knights would need and then everything would be over. Laxus sat his glass back down before he stated in a gruff tone, "You all will remove any similar devices or we will remove them by force. You will do exactly what we say, when we say it."

Orga could feel Minerva and Mr. Tadashi glare daggers into them, but Lady Coralie looked relieved and quickly replied before Mr. Tadashi or Minerva could, "I accept the terms. Even my knowledge of Slayers is limited after much research. I had no idea that you would be able to sense the lacrima at all and I do not want to disappoint my family by not agreeing to your demands."

When Lady Coralie removed the necklace, Mr. Tadashi yelled, "Lady Coralie! I do not think that is wise!"

"Butt out!" Laxus snarled at the visibly angry butler, "She's your boss right? Then do as she says!"

Orga briefly saw Minerva and Mr. Tadashi glance at each other before Minerva regained her composure and said, "Orga and Laxus will keep Lady Coralie safe. Do not worry so much Mr. Tadashi."

Orga glanced at Lady Coralie briefly and realized everything that Laxus had been saying last night. He could now sense everything about her. While she still tried to remain regal and cold, he could now sense her nerves and fear. However, unlike the first day that they had met Mr. Tadashi, they could not sense anything off of him now. Were the emotions that they witnessed that first day just another mask too? No matter what, Orga and Laxus both knew that the butler was obviously smarter than he would let on.

Laxus looked at Mr. Tadashi and said in a firm tone, "You need to remove yours too."

Mr. Tadashi sneered at him and replied, "If I do that then I will leave my lady vulnerable."

"Then you can stay behind," Orga snapped as he and Laxus stood up.

Laxus could tell that Mr. Tadashi was about to lose his cool; however, Minerva seemed to remain calm and watchful. Laxus figured that there was no way in hell that Minerva would stick her neck out for anyone unless everything was falling exactly into place for Mr. Tadashi's plan; however, from what Laxus could gather, Mr. Tadashi's plan was falling apart when the butler looked at Lady Coralie and stated, "My Lady, this is completely unacceptable."

Before Lady Coralie could answer, Orga stated, "If you could do the job of protecting her and transporting her jewels, then why would she need us?"

Mr. Tadashi's eyes glared in anger. Although neither Laxus nor Orga could get a read off of the man, they could still witness his visible anger. Then Laxus smirked as he and Orga grabbed their bags. Both of them stood on either side of Lady Coralie before Laxus stated, "Let's get this mission over with."

Laxus was impressed that Lady Coralie was holding herself together so well. She nodded her head and followed them, but Laxus could smell her fear so strong that it made him nauseous. The three then left the inn—leaving Minerva and Mr. Tadashi behind.

* * *

The three had spent the whole day traveling, after they had retrieved Lady Coralie's jewels from her estate. Lady Coralie had explained and filled in more details about her past so that Laxus and Orga knew what kind of trouble they were in. It was definitely thanks to Hisui that Coralie was even able to get help from Laxus and Orga; otherwise, Mr. Tadashi would still be in control.

Luckily, there had been no sign of Minerva or Mr. Tadashi. However, Lady Coralie was completely on edge that night when she started yelling, "WHY DID YOU GUYS THINK THAT WAS A GOOD IDEA? WHAT IF MR. TADASHI FINDS US IN OUR SLEEP? WHAT IF HE MAKES IT TO BOSCO BEFORE US AND KILLS JAQUE?!"

Orga seemed to have a lot more patience with women when Laxus snapped, "We will get there before noon tomorrow if we keep travelling at the same speed. We are only going to stop for an hour now to eat. Orga and I can take turns sleeping throughout the night, but there is no way in hell that he can catch up to us."

"That didn't answer all my questions!" Lady Coralie snapped back at Laxus.

"The best way to make Mr. Tadashi mess up is by acting like ourselves," Orga replied in order to defuse the situation. Orga and Laxus both realized earlier that Minerva probably had no intention of following. She was too smart to possibly get arrested and she knew that she couldn't out match both Orga and Laxus since she had never even been able to defeat Orga on her own. However, Mr. Tadashi was a wild card and while they knew that he was not done with them—they just didn't know when or where he would strike.

"What in the hell is that supposed to mean?" Lady Coralie asked as she crossed her arms in defiance.

"We are dicks," Laxus chuckled, "If we were suddenly calm and suspicious then we would be acting out of character and Minerva would have picked up on it and followed along."

"We are used to bossing people around, because of our magic," Orga agreed with Laxus.

"We don't take orders from people," Laxus added.

"And we get the job done," Orga finished.

Lady Coralie rolled her eyes and murmured, "You are both such men. I don't know what Lucy sees in either of you. Her father would be appalled that you two are her suitors."

The two men paused at the honest comment before they regained their senses and Orga stated, "Perhaps you should call your fiancé and let him know you are safe and what the plan is."

"What plan?" Lady Coralie asked.

Laxus sighed and replied, "That we will be there before noon tomorrow. Also, he needs to let his guards know to be on the lookout for Mr. Tadashi. I don't know when or how, but he will follow us and we will catch him when he shows up."

Lady Coralie nodded her head before she grabbed her communication lacrima and went to sit in the magical vehicle so that she could talk to her fiancé. The two men got deathly quiet when they heard Lady Coralie's temperament completely change once the man she loved appeared on the lacrima. Laxus glanced over at the lacrima to see the blind man that Lady Coralie had claimed to have fallen in love with. His eyes widened in realization when he saw the look of admiration in Lady Coralie's eyes. Even though Jaque Moreau could not see Lady Coralie, it didn't matter; their tone, their conversation, and the way she looked at him—they were in love. That's when Laxus looked up at the stars and wondered if Lucy would ever be able to look at him that way.

* * *

Orga, Laxus, and Lady Coralie travelled through the entire night. Lady Coralie slept in the back and even though it was Orga's turn to sleep while Laxus drove—something wouldn't let him. Orga turned around to make sure that Lady Coralie was sleeping before he asked Laxus, "You sure we did the wisest thing?"

Laxus shrugged his shoulders before he replied, "I don't know if it was the wisest thing, but we got her out of his clutches for the moment until we can think of another plan."

Orga nodded before he stated, "When we get there tomorrow, we need to set a trap."

Laxus nodded in agreement before he stated, "I think we called Minerva's bluff for now, but we should still keep an eye out for her. There is just something about that woman that makes me uneasy and I don't think this is the last time that we will see her."

Orga nodded his head in agreement before he asked, "Do you think that when we first met Lady Coralie that Mr. Tadashi had another lacrima to fool our senses?"

Laxus's brows furrowed as he replied, "Yeah, it's the only other explanation. He seemed like a timid little piece of shit when we first met him, but he probably would want us to think that."

Orga looked up at the stars and wished he could talk to Lucy. He knew that she was incredibly smart when it came to solving puzzles. He was glad that she was safe and unaware at the moment that Laxus and he were on a mission together. If she knew, then he knew she would worry constantly about them. While that part made him happy that he had someone in his life that cared that much about him, he would never want to cause her extra anxiety. He would just be glad when this mission was over and he could report to her that he and Laxus worked on a job together and everything went smoothly.

* * *

Late in the morning, the country estate where Jaque Moreau lived had finally came into view. Laxus just rolled his eyes, but Orga smirked, because Lady Coralie was about to bounce out of her seat in excitement. Orga understood the woman's actions. Every time he was about to see Lucy, he got the same butterfly feeling in his stomach.

The three finally stopped the vehicle at the front of the estate. There were several guards everywhere and even though Laxus and Orga couldn't see all of them, they could sense several men hiding around in anticipation at the possible threat.

Their concentration was broken when they heard Lady Coralie gasp in excitement, "Jaque!"

They looked over to see a man with dark glasses coming towards them with a smile on his face. He was dressed like any lord and he had long, dark, brown hair and a pleasant smile. However, compared to Lady Coralie—the man looked quite plain.

"You made it," Jaque replied to Lady Coralie as she leapt into his arms.

Laxus wasn't one for lovey-dovey stuff, but he noticed that Orga had an amused look on his face as he grabbed their bags out of the vehicle. Laxus rolled his eyes and asked, "What the hell is so amusing?"

"Nothing," Orga replied, completely unfazed by Laxus's grumpy attitude.

After the servants took their bags, Lady Coralie introduced Laxus and Orga to Jaque. The man held out his hand and said, "Thank you very much for helping get Coralie away from that man. We should all go inside and discuss possible plans for his arrival if you don't mind. The sooner this man is in custody of your Rune Knights then the safer I will feel for all of us."

Laxus and Orga nodded and followed the engaged couple into the estate. Laxus looked around and realized just how different Lucy's life had really been compared to his if she grew up like this. He remembered that Natsu had said that the Heartfilia estate was more like a small town than just a mansion. He felt a pang in his chest as he thought about how alone Lucy must have felt growing up in such a large place, all alone. It made him feel like an ungrateful piece of shit for giving his Gramps such a hard time when he was younger. He was surrounded by people that cared for him, unlike Lucy—yet he couldn't see what he had and she always tried to see the best in everything. He felt so unworthy of her.

The four took a seat in one of the parlors and Lady Coralie shut the door behind them before she led Jaque over to one of the chairs. Orga and Laxus sat across from them before Jaque asked, "So, I will trust you two completely—whatever you think we need to do to stop this monster then we will do it."

Laxus and Orga looked at each other in relief—finally somebody with some sense. Then Orga said, "Well, Laxus and I were discussing this on the way over while Lady Coralie slept."

"You can just call me Coralie now," Lady Coralie smiled at them shyly.

Laxus and Orga nodded in understanding before Orga continued, "We are afraid that when we leave, that is when Mr. Tadashi will strike."

Jaque nodded his head in understanding before Laxus continued, "We think the best way to lure him is out is two ways. One, we have to make it seem like Orga and I are going back to our guilds."

"That makes sense," Jaque added.

"Two," Orga said calmly, "We think if you two really are ready to get married then you need to go ahead and do it."

Coralie blushed like crazy while Jaque thought about the proposition before Laxus added, "We think the sooner that you two get married, then the sooner Mr. Tadashi will show back up and do whatever it is that he does."

Jaque let out a faint chuckle, "You mean kill off the husbands?"

Orga and Laxus both smirked a little because Jaque was trying to stay optimistic despite everything. Then Coralie took Jaque's hand and said, "I don't think we should risk it. I don't want to lose you."

Jaque patted her knee gently before he replied in a reassuring tone, "You won't, My Love, but I think they are right. The sooner that we move on with the plans, the sooner you will be safe. I would marry you right now or a hundred years from now—it makes no difference to me."

Laxus rolled his eyes at the couple's sappiness and Orga just looked down at the ground. Coralie blushed and nodded her head in agreement before she replied, "Then let's get married. The day after tomorrow."

* * *

The rest of the day was spent with organizing the plan and Coralie organizing her rushed wedding. Laxus and Orga would pretend to leave and wait in a cave in the country side until that evening. Then they would cause a thunderstorm with their magic, because Bosco was warmer this time of year then it was in Fiore, and would return to the estate to stay in one of the wings to await the wedding. Coralie and Jaque would both be staying in a connected room off of Laxus's and Orga's. The two Slayers would once again take turns sleeping, because they didn't want Mr. Tadashi to sneak past them in the night with his masking lacrima.

After they found the cave that Jaque had described to them, they hid the magical vehicle under some makeshift tree limbs and decided to catch a few hours of sleep before they had to go back with the thunderstorm that they would create. However, just as Laxus was unrolling his pack, his communication lacrima lit up.

Orga was just getting himself situated on his own pack when Mira's face lit up Laxus's screen. "Hi Laxus! Hi Orga! How are you both doing?" Mira beamed at them.

"Fine," Laxus grumbled, "What's up?"

"Master just wanted me to follow up to make sure that everything was ok," Mira said with a smile still plastered on her face.

"Everything is good and we think we have a solid plan," Laxus said as he leaned back and closed his eyes, "Anything else?"

Mira got a mischievous smile on her face before she replied, "Lucy would be so happy to know that you two are getting along so well. I still wish that she would pick you both so that you guys could all start having babies soon. You could have a house in both Crocus and Magnolia! The Dreyar twins and Baby Mint would be so adorable!"

"What the fuck?!" both Laxus and Orga growled out.

Mira just giggled and said, "Good luck, Lucy's lightning men!"

Laxus just sighed as he sat down his communication lacrima just before Orga looked over at him and stated, "I'm fairly certain that most people in your guild are bat shit crazy."

Laxus couldn't help but smirk slightly before he replied, "I'd have to agree with you."


	58. Chapter 58

Orga and Laxus grabbed their bags and were about to initiate the next phase of their plan and cause a thunderstorm in order to get back to Jaque's estate. Jaque had told them which balcony that they would need to land on before they left. Laxus and Orga would both keep an eye out for Mr. Tadashi; however, they knew that if the man was still masking himself then the chances of them missing him wandering the country side greatened.

Laxus looked over at Orga, after he slung his coat over his shoulder and asked, "You ready?"

Orga nodded his head and replied, "I'll meet you back there in a few hours."

Then without another word, they both morphed into lightning to create the largest/scariest thunderstorm that area of Bosco had ever seen.

* * *

**Several hours later...**

Laxus had just landed on the balcony of his and Orga's room. He hated that the two would be sharing a room, but strategically it was the best option. It was the largest and connected to another bedroom that would be shared by Jaque and Coralie. But for appearances sake, most of the servants believed that the Happy Couple were sleeping in the two separate rooms and believed that Laxus and Orga had already left. Only a few guards were aware of the two mages existence, because they didn't want Mr. Tadashi learning about their existence.

As Laxus walked towards the balcony door, he suddenly heard Coralie's laugh fill the room followed by her stating, "I thought I had finally beaten you!"

Laxus looked over at Jaque who had a large grin on his face. The couple was playing chess with a very unique board and pieces. The pieces were of different textures and the board had ridges to determine where the pieces could go by touch and not sight.

"I've had the board since I was a child and love the game," Jaque said kindly to Coralie, "While your move was clever, it will take a lot more for me to lose."

"I'll just have to find a game I can beat you at," Coralie smiled before she gave Jaque a kiss on his cheek.

Then to Laxus's surprise, Jaque looked in his direction and said, "Coralie, I believe one of the mages is back."

Coralie turned to look at Laxus and replied, "It's Laxus. I'll go get some hot tea from the other room."

Laxus wasn't one to interfere so he just hung his coat up on the rack to dry. However, Laxus seemed to notice that Jaque seemed very aware of his presence—even though he could not see him. Finally Jaque said, "Mr. Dreyar, would you care to have a seat?"

"Sure," Laxus stated in a half sigh. While he didn't mind Jaque and thought he seemed like an alright man, Laxus didn't really like talking to strangers or talking on the job.

Jaque motioned for Laxus to sit across from him and once the Dragon Slayer had sat down, Jaque stated, "Your soul seems quite troubled Mr. Dreyar."

Laxus arched his brow at the man and asked, "What would you know about my soul?"

"Forgive me, while you have not given me permission to see into your soul, there are times were I can sense when something is 'off' with a person," Jaque admitted to him as he leaned back into his armchair.

When Laxus didn't respond, Jaque continued, "Coralie tells me that you are close to one of her childhood acquaintances—a Lucy Heartfilia. I never had the privilege of meeting her myself, but I did meet her mother when I was a very young boy. Layla was a light that seemed to burn brighter than the sun. You see most people's eye problems can be solved with magic in our world; however, it is because of my magic that I do not have vision."

Laxus looked over at Jaque to study him. The man seemed calm and totally relaxed in his presence. Most people were still intimidated by him, even though he was a mage of Fairy Tail. However, Jaque Moreau didn't seem fazed by his presence at all.

Then Laxus asked, "Why does your magic keep you from seeing?"

Jaque smiled at him and replied, "I believe it is quite the opposite. While I cannot see the details of your face or the beauty of Coralie—I can see the other things around you."

"Gramps said that you can see people's souls, but only when they let you," Laxus stated slightly annoyed that the man could seem to read him.

"While that is mostly true," Jaque confirmed, "I can see the way the universe around your presence is affected. It is almost like your Dragon senses I believe Mr. Dreyar. You can smell me, notice when my pulse changes, and other characteristics like that. In a way, I can see people for who they really are without ever seeing them. I just don't know their motives unless they allow me that privilege."

Laxus thought that Jaquce's magic sounded intriguing, but he didn't really care what the man thought about his soul. He knew who he was. However, there was something he was curious about so he asked, "So are you ready to get married the day after tomorrow?"

Jacque got a faint smile on his face before he replied, "I have never been more ready for anything in my life."

Laxus arched his brow before he asked, "Why's that?"

"Well, my Father and Mother always had a happy marriage. It wasn't perfect, as nothing ever is, but they both tried every day. They were equals and companions in every sense of the word," Jaque admitted, "While most people are rather afraid of my magic, because many people don't want people to see them for who they really are, Coralie was the exact opposite. She had had to play a specific role most of her adult life. She was a prisoner because of her wealth and Mr. Tadashi, so when she had the opportunity to share who she really was for the first time it was like a weight had been lifted off of her."

"So you are her hero?" Laxus asked with slight interest.

Jaque chuckled and replied, "If anything, I think she saved me. But no, we didn't immediately fall in love. We had our stolen moments where I could see into her soul. I saw a girl with a happy childhood that had that ripped away from her. Coralie was not meant for the cage that Mr. Tadashi put her in. She deserves to be free and happy."

Laxus heard Coralie enter the room behind him before she said, "I am happy now."

The woman who had been a cold hearted bitch only two days before was now soft and kind. She poured tea for everyone before Jaque added, "So to answer your question about the wedding Laxus, I don't think I have ever been happier."

Coralie smiled at Jaque before she added, "I agree."

"What about you though?" Jaque asked Laxus.

"What about me?" Laxus asked in confusion.

"Is there not a woman in the life of the Great, Laxus Dreyar?" Jaque asked.

However, before Laxus could reply, Coralie sat her tea cup down fast and said in a serious tone, "Laxus, there is something you should know about Minerva."

Laxus and Jaque both got quiet when Coralie continued, "When she came to my estate, because she knew that Orga was going to be there, she told me that she wanted to get even with him and make him pay."

Laxus looked back and forth between Jaque and Coralie, before he replied, "You didn't think to mention this to us sooner?"

Coralie shook her head and added, "I'm sorry. With everything happening I just wanted to get away. I apologize for not saying anything sooner, but you need to know that Minerva wants to hurt Lucy."

Laxus narrowed his eyes at Coralie and Jaque asked, "Lucy Heartfilia?"

Coralie nodded before she replied, "Yes. She didn't go into detail on what her plan was, just that her and her father would make Orga and Sabertooth pay for becoming weak."

Just as Coralie finished her statement, a boom of thunder echoed in the sky just as a black streak of lightning hit the balcony. Jaque looked towards the door and stated, "It appears that Mr. Nanagear is about to join us as well."

Laxus's brows were furrowed in anger at the thought of Minerva and the former Sabertooth Master plotting something to hurt Lucy, plus that Coralie had managed to leave out these details for a whole day. Then Laxus remember something that Coralie had mentioned when they had first met her and asked, "Did you really know where Lucy's location was for her training?"

Orga walked up with a confused look on his face just when Coralie replied, "No, I did not. I just said that because Minerva somehow found out that both of you have feelings for Lucy. It was just my way of trying to get you to help me."

Jaque's eyebrows rose at the news of Laxus and Orga both liking Lucy. However, Laxus wasn't satisfied with that answer when he asked, "But does Minerva know where Lucy is? Does Minerva know you aren't really a bitch?"

Orga took a deep inhale, but Jaque's eyebrows furrowed in anger at Laxus's choice of words against Coralie. However, Coralie remained calm before she replied, "I understand that my role when you first met me was quite deceptive. The truth is, I knew very little of Mr. Tadashi's involvement with Minerva and her father. Minerva just saw me as a tool—the way that she sees most people. While I believe that she still thinks I am on their side, which will soon change after we beat Mr. Tadashi once and for all. I do not think she will contact me before the wedding, but if she does—then I will try to find out as much as I know. I do not think she knows where Lucy is right this second, I also don't think she plans on making a move until she knows for certain on what Lucy's choice will be."

"What are you talking about?" Orga asked in concern.

Laxus took a deep breath before Coralie answered," From what I could gather, Minerva won't harm Lucy if Lucy ends up with Laxus, because she doesn't want to get Fairy Tail involved if she doesn't have to. She is after all still terrified of the woman from your guild called Titania."

Orga took a seat next to Laxus before Coralie turned to him and said, "However, if Lucy chooses you then she will reign down her anger on you."

Laxus looked over at Orga who looked stunned. The Dragon Slayer just let out a heavy sigh before he punched Orga in the arm and replied, "Either way, Fairy Tail is getting involved—Blondie or no Blondie."

Everyone looked at him before Laxus shrugged his shoulders before he added, "Pretty sure Natsu considers you guys nakama, Lucy won't let anything happen to you, and my Gramps sure as hell won't stand by now that you have a guild that puts its members first."

Orga gave him a weak smile, but Laxus could tell that the news still shook Orga to his core. However, Laxus didn't know how Lucy would take the news. On one hand, fuck Minerva for putting that kind of pressure on Lucy and Orga. If Lucy was like the rest of her team and if she really wanted to be with Orga then she would tell that psycho-bitch to go fuck herself and be with Orga anyways. Yet the Lucy that Laxus knew, knew that she would never want anyone to get hurt because of her. If she thought that Orga's life might be in danger then she might back off. Either way, it sounded like there was a big plot against Sabertooth and Laxus knew that his Gramps would want to know.

After a few minutes of silence, with just the crackling of the fireplace for noise, Jaque turned to Coralie and said, "I think we should let our friends rest."

Coralie nodded with a sad expression before she replied, "I will make sure to bring you both some breakfast in the morning. There are drinks and enough food for sandwiches in the fridge. However, feel free to help yourselves to anything. The bathroom is fully stocked with anything that you might need and Jaque and I will be in the next room."

Laxus nodded his thanks; however, Orga still sat there stunned. Then Coralie turned to both of them and said, "For what it is worth, I am very sorry for all of this."

"It is shitty news, but at least our guilds can be a little more prepared, so thank you," Laxus grumbled.

Coralie just smiled faintly before she and Jaque entered their room. The two Slayers sat in silence for another moment before Laxus said, "I think I could use a beer. Want one?"

"Sure," Orga sighed.

Laxus didn't know why, but he hated seeing that wannabe Lightning Dragon Slayer looking so down. He grabbed them two beers from the fridge before he popped the tops off and handed one to Orga. Orga didn't say anything in response but took the beer from his new partner.

Finally Laxus said, "Minerva doesn't have fucking clue as to where Lucy and Natsu are right now. So you don't need to be worried."

"You heard what Coralie said, that's not the problem," Orga replied in an annoyed tone, "She's not going to attack Lucy until she knows what her decision is."

Laxus remembered that and shrugged his shoulders before he asked, "You worried about what Lucy will do once she knows?"

There was a brief pause before Orga replied, "It's not just that. Lucy has the right to know before she makes her choice, but no matter what—my guild will still have to possibly suffer because of Minerva and Jiemma. Sabertooth isn't just younger people looking to be the best and toughest now. We have families that have children. I don't want to see anyone suffer because of power hungry assholes looking for revenge."

Asuka's face popped up in Laxus's head, just as he imagined that Eve's popped into Orga's. His Gramps got pissed when Asuka almost got hurt during a guild fight. He couldn't imagine his guild's anger if Asuka got hurt from one of Fairy Tail's enemies.

"You guys don't have to go through it alone," Laxus stated, "Either way, it sounds like we got some time to plan. When we get back, we will let Sting and Gramps know and we will be ready for them. Gramps has a pretty good network and we might be able to track them down and stop them before anything even happens."

Orga nodded in understanding before a faint smile appeared on his face and he replied, "If I didn't know any better Laxus, it almost sounds like you care."

Laxus harrumphed at the accusation before he replied, "Whatever."

* * *

**Two days later…**

It was finally the day of Coralie's and Jaque's wedding. The day before had been very quiet and uneventful. Laxus had listened to music most of the day, whereas Orga read. They both took turns at going out and keeping the storm going, because they figured that having a present storm would give them the upper hand against Mr. Tadashi when he showed his face.

Orga and Laxus were hiding on a balcony in the room that the wedding was commencing in. If Mr. Tadashi showed up, then they would be ready for him. However, neither man thought Mr. Tadashi would arrive just yet—there were too many witnesses at a wedding. They both had a feeling that if anything were going to happen then it would be tonight or tomorrow. Mr. Tadashi's previous victims were all married to Coralie, so they figured he wouldn't break tradition with that just yet. However, it made Jaque and Coralie feel better knowing that Laxus and Orga were near and ready for anything.

Laxus hated weddings. He never really understood them, but then he never really thought much about marriage before. He didn't really have the best role models growing up when it came to stable relationships. He just assumed that he would forever be a bachelor. Now…now he questioned everything. Especially since the man standing next to him knew exactly what he wanted—and knew who he wanted…Lucy.

"So is this the kind of shit that you want?" Laxus grunted at Orga as he motioned his head towards the minister who was orchestrating Coralie and Jaque to say their vows.

"With you?" Orga joked, "You're not my type."

Laxus just rolled his eyes before growled, "Forget it."

Orga grew serious for a moment, because he could tell that Laxus was struggling with something, before he said, "I'd do this if that is what the woman I loved wanted. I'm not really big on weddings, but from what I've seen about relationships—you got to give and take."

"We both know who the woman you love is," Laxus grumbled.

"True," Orga added, "I just didn't want to make you feel worse."

"How do you know what I feel?" Laxus argued.

"I don't," Orga stated, "Was just trying to be considerate."

Then before anything else could be said, the minister pronounced Jaque and Coralie man and wife. Cheers erupted through the crowd before Laxus said, "Well at least at the reception there will be beer."

* * *

**Two days later…**

It had been two days since the wedding, yet there were still no signs of Mr. Tadashi. Laxus and Orga had continued to keep the storm going and the new married couple seemed to be even happier. Laxus supposed that some good had come out of this weird and awkward mission. He didn't want to admit it, but he could see why Lucy and Orga got along so well. Orga seemed to be an ok guy—and that just pissed Laxus of more. He just wanted to go home.

It was nearing midnight when Laxus got back after stirring up the storm. Orga was sitting on the couch reading and Laxus was just about to ask if there was an update when all of the lights went out.

The two Slayers could see in the dark just fine, but then they heard Coralie in the other room ask in a scared voice, "Laxus, Orga, are you guys ok?"

Then they heard Jaque state, "Laxus, Orga—the lights in this estate have a magical backup generator. That shouldn't have happened."

Jaque and Coralie entered the room when Laxus asked, "Where are you guards?"

Orga checked the hall, but there was no one there.

Laxus could feel his adrenaline starting to pump through his veins when Orga commanded, "Jaque, Coralie—get in the safe room and lock all of the doors."

The couple nodded and Coralie led Jaque away as Laxus and Orga secured the room. Once the door was closed, the two men felt all the room in the air suddenly grow still just as the hairs on their arms stood straight up. The two looked at each other and didn't say a word because they already knew—Mr. Tadashi was there in the room with them.

Laxus and Orga both started to radiate their magic off of their bodies when they finally heard a guard scream, "THE ESTATE IS UNDER ATTACK!"


	59. Chapter 59

"Where did he go?" Orga whispered so that only Laxus could hear, "He was just in here with us."

The two Lightning men could hear many of the guards screaming outside as though there was a massive battle taking place. Laxus looked over at Orga in the dark and replied, "I can't sense him."

"No, I suppose you wouldn't," Mr. Tadashi sneered as he suddenly appeared right before their eyes and threw a lacrima dagger at Laxus.

Laxus quickly dodged it and just as Orga lunged at Mr. Tadashi, the former servant started cackling and disappeared right before them.

"What the fuck kind of magic is this?" Laxus growled in anger.

Orga and Laxus stood with their backs to each other, because the last thing that they wanted was to let Mr. Tadashi sneak up behind them. Then as though to answer Laxus's question, Mr. Tadashi whispered in a chilling voice, "The kind that can kill Slayers—or anyone that stands in my way."

Laxus was infuriated because he felt so vulnerable. He couldn't smell the man, nor could he hear him, unless Mr. Tadashi wanted them to hear him. Then suddenly Laxus felt like his side was being torn in two. He looked down and yelled, "SHIT!" Blood was pouring out of his side as he saw the trail of a lacrima dagger slice through him.

"Dude are you all right?" Orga shouted and quickly turned to look at Laxus. The God Slayer felt his body go numb when he saw the gigantic gash across Laxus's torso.

"Don't think I forgot about you," Mr. Tadashi whispered in Orga's ear just as the hot blade of the lacrima dagger went across his chest.

Orga winced in pain just as Laxus said, "We need to use our magic to confuse him."

Both men sparked into lightning and were just about to teleport around the room when Mr. Tadashi's voice boomed around them, "Oh, I don't think so!"

Instead of teleporting around the room, both men were instantly slammed to the floor just before their hands were stabbed with more lacrima blades. Before Laxus could raise his head off of the ground, he felt searing heat beginning to scorch his body. Both men began to yell in pain and Laxus thought he was about to pass out from the intensity of it when suddenly that sensation vanished. Laxus tried to raise his body up off the ground, but couldn't help it as he began to vomit up blood. He had never experienced this kind of magic before. What the hell was going on? Why couldn't he get a grip?

Orga and Laxus both flinched when they heard Mr. Tadashi's voice pierce the darkness with an evil laugh, Laxus couldn't move when he saw another lacrima dagger being thrown towards him, but for some reason he couldn't move because of the magic. He closed his eyes to brace for the pain he knew was about to hit him, but instead he heard Orga yell. Laxus opened his eyes to see Orga kneeling in front of him with the lacrima dagger protruding from his chest.

"STAY BACK!" Mr. Tadashi yelled as he used some sort of magic to slam Orga back down on the ground next to Laxus. "Before I kill you both, I will find Lucy Heartfilia and make you watch as I torture her and kill her. Two of the strongest mages in the land can't stop my plans."

Laxus sent a bolt of lightning out towards the voice, but missed. Mr. Tadashi couldn't control his laughter before he added, "She's only going to suffer so much because she is the only one who could see me for who I truly am."

"What's that? A gigantic douche bag?" Orga replied after he spit out a bunch of blood.

Laxus couldn't help but smirk at Orga's tenacity. The God Slayer had a massive dagger sticking out of him, yet he was still being a smart ass. But then he felt helpless when he heard Orga scream out in pain as a second dagger pierced through the flesh of his teammates shoulder.

"I wasn't supposed to hurt you," Mr. Tadashi sneered as he reappeared before the two men who were prostrate on the ground beneath him, "Master Jiemma specifically said not to harm any members of the new and useless Sabertooth yet; however, you, Orga Nanagear, have repeatedly insulted the Lady Minerva and you need to be taught a lesson."

Laxus could only watch in agony as he watched Mr. Tadashi plunge one of the daggers that was protruding from Orga's chest further into his body. The sick servant bent down in front of Orga and replied, "Now, what I was saying before you rudely interrupted was your beautiful friend, Lucy, can see me for who I truly am. She could gain every dark secret that I know because you, Orga, trained her and made her stronger. She could use her freak of a spirit to mimic me now and figure out my magic and figure out Master Jiemma's ultimate plan."

Orga felt sick when Mr. Tadashi ran his hand against his cheek and whispered, "It will be so much fun to deflower her in front of you. Minerva is quite the jealous ex you have and has done extensive research on Lucy. Like where she trains, the fact that she is a virgin, which spirits she has, where her and her friends hang out, where she lives, where her parents' graves are. Even though I was told we wouldn't hurt Ms. Heartfilia if she chooses your blonde friend over there—she is still too big of a threat to me for me to allow her to live. Master Jiemma will see things my way and I am sure Minerva won't mind if I put the competition down. Plus, I kind of have to kill her now. You two chose this mission, and if you don't come back then Lucy will come for you both, plus she will want to help her childhood friend. However, Master Jiemma and I still need Lady Coralie and the money she can get. I can either ransom her or sell her to someone who would like to keep her as a pet, because you both have fucked up the plans and now the royal family knows about me."

Laxus's eyes widened in shock when he saw a small lacrima necklace around Mr. Tadashi's neck as the man was taunting Orga. His mind began to think quickly about Mr. Tadashi's magic and what he knew about it so far. He remembered how Coralie could block things out because she wore a lacrima that looked like that—one that Mr. Tadashi had given her. Plus, Laxus and Orga had been stabbed with lacrima blades. Laxus knew for a fact that lacrimas could possess limitless types of magic, like the one inside of him. Perhaps Mr. Tadashi's magic was actually coming from that lacrima and not any one specific type of magic.

"I wish everyone in Fiore could see the two great men before me! Laxus Dreyar and Orga Nanagear brought down by a lowly servant," Mr. Tadashi laughed, "Now if you will excuse me, there is a groom I must kill and a lady to kidnap. You two won't get the pleasure of dying until later, I'd like to think as both of you as an insurance policy for future dealings with your guilds."

Laxus watched as Mr. Tadashi turned away and was about to head into Coralie's and Jaque's room. This was their chance, because the man wasn't masking himself—he thought he had won. Laxus body was starting to convulse by the shock it was experiencing with loosing so much blood; however, he tried to summon up what strength he had left before he looked over at Orga who was still coughing up blood and whispered, "Do you remember that present you got Blondie?"

"Yes," Orga whispered back in-between coughs.

"Combine whatever you have left with mine and aim for the same spot on that sick fuck's chest," Laxus replied.

Laxus knew that this was probably their only chance and with the amount of blood that was pooling around his teammate, he knew that they had to act now or risk becoming this bastard's prisoners. Suddenly their breath began to rapidly change and the thunderstorm that they had spent days maintaining began to pick up speed. Mr. Tadashi stopped just before he reached the door when a large lightning bolt shot into the room and struck the curtains and set them on fire.

The servant jumped at the sudden onslaught of the storm that was followed by the deafening boom of thunder. Mr. Tadashi realized his mistake the moment he threw up his hands to cover his ears, because behind him now stood two Lightning Slayers that were ready for revenge.

Pee ran down the leg of the pathetic man just as Orga yelled, "LIGHTNING GOD'S BELLOW!" and Laxus yelled in unison, "LIGHTNING DRAGON'S ROAR!"

Mr. Tadashi screamed in agony as the combo attack from two of Fiore's strongest mages hit the man simultaneously in the chest—illuminating the hidden lacrima and making it into a glaring beacon. Laxus fell to his knees and watched as Mr. Tadashi continued to scream and his body began to fade into the lacrima.

"Noooo!" Mr. Tadashi screamed as more and more of his body faded into the lacrima, "It can't end like this! NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Then the two men heard a pop and the room was silent. All of the guards stopped screaming outside and the lights came back on. Laxus saw several shattered lacrimas around them that were no bigger than a baseball. Orga collapsed next to Laxus and before Laxus could check on his partner, his eyes closed from exhaustion before he too collapsed.

* * *

Laxus had no idea how long he had slept, but when he opened his eyes he couldn't help but groan at the bright sunlight that flooded the infirmary room that he was in. When he tried to set up, he winced a little and reached for the pain on his side. He looked down and saw that he was bandaged where Mr. Tadashi's lacrima blade had slit his side.

The Lightning Dragon Slayer was still confused about the fight, but at least he knew Mr. Tadashi wouldn't be hurting anyone again. Then he looked over and saw Orga asleep in a bed next to him. A deep frown set on his face because the God Slayer had gotten it even rougher than he had. He snorted at the memory of Orga jumping in front of a dagger that was meant for him. It seemed just like something Lucy would do. However, Laxus knew that Orga would be fine because the man was too damn stubborn to be down for long. But a sickening feeling still set in the pit of his stomach at the thought that Jiemma and Minerva were still out there and possibly gathering forces just like Mr. Tadashi to take down Sabertooth. He could only guess at how many other people were being blackmailed or manipulated the way Coralie was. But he did know that he and his Gramps needed to come up with a plan. If Jiemma had other people on his side like Mr. Tadashi then people would get hurt and die. Laxus frowned as he thought about the little girl named Eve. He didn't want innocent youth being dragged into a mad-man's plight for revenge. After all, he knew a thing or two about hurting innocent people just for the sake of power and he be damned if he let someone else do that to some people he started to care about.

Laxus looked over at his partner again when he heard Orga groan. He watched as the God Slayer blinked his eyes opened and had the same annoyed look on his face that he had probably had with the sunlight. The two looked at each other before Laxus stated, "You look like shit."

Orga snorted before he replied, "I probably still look better than you."

The Dragon Slayer watched as his partner tried to sit up in the bed before the Sabertooth mage asked, "How long have we been in here?"

"I don't know," Laxus frowned, "I just woke up a few minutes before you and haven't seen anyone. The last thing I remember is that jack ass fading into his lacrima."

Laxus could tell that Orga was in rough shape by his breathing and that made him feel like shit. "Orga," he mumbled.

Orga arched an eyebrow at the sound of his own name before Laxus continued, "Thanks for taking that hit for me."

The Sabertooth Mage just nodded before he replied, "You're welcome. Plus that was a pretty clever plan you had. How did you figure out that he was using a lacrima?"

Laxus took a deep breath before he admitted, "I saw it around his neck when he was over you."

"Well good thing I could be a useful punching bag," Orga stated as he readjusted the pillows behind his head.

Laxus chuckled slightly, because he couldn't believe that one man could do so much damage to both he and Orga. His stomach felt nauseous at the thought of how that man wanted Lucy too.

But before his thoughts could get even darker, one of the servants knocked on the door and entered. Her eyes lit up in surprise to see that both men were sitting up in bed looking back at her. She bowed quickly before she replied, "Excuse me, but I must go find Master Moreau immediately. He asked that he be notified the moment either of you were awake."

Laxus and Orga just blinked in response at the woman before she quickly exited the room to go find the Master of the estate. It wasn't long before Coralie and Jaque entered the room together with smiles on their faces.

"How are you both doing?" Jaque asked in concern.

Laxus could tell that Coralie looked more concerned than Jaque did, but only because she could actually see all the bandages all over their bodies. However, Laxus replied, "Just peachy."

"What happened to Mr. Tadashi?" Orga asked quickly. The God Slayer was concerned about the safety of his guild since Jiemma was the one supporting Mr. Tadashi.

Jaque took a deep breath before he replied, "Mr. Tadashi is currently being held prisoner by the Magic Council and is being escorted inside his lacrima by an army of Rune Knights. I have to say, the fact that you both figured out how to stop him was quite impressive."

Laxus and Orga just looked at each other before Coralie explained further, "The Rune Knights were able to figure out that the source of Mr. Tadashi's power came from the lacrima that he wore around his neck. He had the ability to create more lacrimas that were still within in his magical capabilities."

"What do you mean?" Laxus asked a little confused.

"My personal guards were being attacked by lacrimas that were shooting weapons at them, from the looks of the room you fought in—Mr. Tadashi could also make lacrima weapons in addition to masking his movement, smell, using gravity lacrimas to hold victims in place, etc.," Jacque clarified, "So the moment that you hit the main source of his magic, all of the other lacrimas lost their magic."

"How is he trapped inside of his own lacrima though?" Orga asked.

"That the Rune Knights couldn't figure out," Coralie admitted, "It is why they sent so many guards. The Magic Council wants to study his magic closer, because in some ways his magic could seem endless the stronger he got."

Laxus and Orga didn't like the sound of that, but then Jaque interrupted their thoughts when he said, "But for now the danger has passed and we can't thank you enough."

Coralie nodded in agreement before she added, "Thank you both for saving me and my husband. We will forever be in your debt."

The two men just nodded their heads before Jaque informed them that they could stay as long as they would like to recover. However, both Laxus and Orga were in agreement that they had been on this mission long enough and both wanted to get back home. It did seem like the trouble for now had passed, but neither would feel at ease until they could get their guilds prepped for a possible battle. Laxus didn't know when or even if Jiemma would strike Sabertooth, but he did know Minerva was a manipulative and vindictive bitch and she had been popping up too much for his comfort.

Laxus and Orga had found out that they had both been asleep for three days and even though the nurse tried to talk them out of it, they gathered their things and began to head to the magical vehicle that they had hidden in the woods earlier that week after they had said their goodbyes. The two walked in a mutual silence through the woods as they began to plan the best defensive plans for their guilds.

* * *

The next day, they finally made it back to Crocus. Laxus watched as Orga grabbed his pack out from the back of the vehicle. Laxus thought about it and he realized before this mission he didn't care for Orga one bit—but something had changed. He didn't know if it was the fact that Orga had taken a dagger to the chest for him or the fact that they had made such a good team, but for the first time Laxus was ok with the fact that Lucy had feelings for Orga. He really was a stand-up guy.

"Hey," Laxus stated before Orga was about to turn around and leave, "Thanks for everything."

Orga just nodded, but Laxus still didn't feel right so he added, "I think you and I are more alike than I once thought."

Orga arched his eyebrow in surprise before he asked, "What makes you think that?"

"You've been overly quiet," Laxus replied with a smirk, "Well you are usually quiet anyways, but you like giving me shit to bring me down a peg." Orga was waiting to see where this conversation was going before Laxus added, "I think it is because of all the stuff Mr. Tadashi said about attacking Sabertooth and hurting Lucy, am I right?"

Orga nodded in response before Laxus continued, "I would be worried just like you. I think it is because we are the strongest in our guilds so we feel like it is our duty to protect our nakama. Plus, we both care a lot for Lucy."

The two were quiet for several minutes before Orga asked, "I thought Gildarts was the strongest in Fairy Tail?" Then a large smile spread across the God Slayer's face.

"Fuck you, man," Laxus laughed in response.

The two chuckled for a second before Orga replied sincerely, "Seriously, thank you, Laxus. I'll talk Sting into getting the guild masters together so that we can all come up with a plan. I don't want anyone getting needlessly hurt. It bugs me that one guy could kick our asses like that."

Laxus nodded in agreement before Orga said, "Well the pansy was using a bunch of magical tools to beat us, and we still beat him with strength." Orga just nodded before Laxus added, "Take care. It'd be cool to do another mission with you sometime."

"Agreed," Orga added before he reached out and shook the other man's hand. Then the Sabertooth Mage grinned at him before he said, "And don't feel too bad if Lucy has to kick your ass soon during the exams."

Laxus just chuckled before he finished with, "I'll keep that in mind. See ya."

The two waved good-bye and had a new found respect for each other and with that they both knew that whatever the future held, they would make sure that Lucy was happy and that their guilds would be safe from the threats that might face them.


	60. Chapter 60

Freed and Juvia sat at their dinner table each scribbling away quickly on paper as the timer in their kitchen quickly ticked away before it rang loudly breaking the silence. The two put their pencils down and handed each other their papers.

"Freed-sama," Juvia sighed, "Juvia thinks you made that exam extra hard today."

The Rune Mage gave her a smile before he replied, "I could say the same thing about you. You specifically asked me about a certain citation that is only specific to Onibus and their use of an improbably parked magical vehicle. That one was quite tricky."

And you got it right!" Juvia exclaimed as she pointed to that question on the test.

The two graded each other's tests. Much to Juvia's delight, she got an 89% and of course Freed got a perfect 100%. Then Freed admitted, "Well at least we know that we have enough knowledge about these books to pass anything in regards to them."

Juvia nodded her head in agreement before the two stood and went to the training field. Where Freed exceled in the book smarts, Juvia exceeded him in power. He was in awe at how versatile her magic really was and after watching Lucy at the Fall Festival in Crocus, fighting against Jura with water, wind, and lightning…he was very curious to see how Juvia's magic would react with Laxus's ligtning. He couldn't wait to see his team and Mira again soon, plus he was very excited about trying to incorporate Juvia into The Raijinshu. He had found a true friend in the Water Mage.

As the two faced each other on the field, Freed held his hand up and said, "Juvia, there is something I would like to say first."

Juvia blinked in surprise before she asked, "What is it, Freed-sama?"

"I hope you know that the other day when I mentioned to you about going on missions with the Raijinshu, that I was completely serious," Freed admitted before he added, "I have enjoyed our time greatly together and I think you are an incredible mage and friend."

"Thank you," Juvia replied with a smile, "Juvia thinks Freed-sama is a great friend too and Juvia cannot wait to go on a mission with the Raijinshu."

Then the two nodded at each other before their mock battle began. The two knew that without a doubt, they were going to be formidable foes against their guildmates.

* * *

Gray dodged one of the makeshift items that Levy had produced with her magic to keep him from demolishing everything in sight. "Son of a bitch," he muttered before he saw the Bluenette hiding behind a tree, before he yelled, "Ice-Make, Prison!"

"Solid Script, Fire!" Levy shouted at the cage above her—turning it into harmless water."

"Ice-Make, Cannon!" Gray shouted.

"Solid Scrip, Child!" Levy shouted as a fake doll child appeared in-between the ice cannon and herself.

"Ahhhhh, no!" Gray yelled as he tried to stop his magic; however, it was too late as the cannon obliterated the stuffed doll child and took Levy out in the process as well.

"Shit," Gray spat as he dashed over to help Levy up. "What the hell was that?!" he yelled at Levy as he reached out his hand to help her up.

She had a few scrapes and bruises on her before she smiled at him and said, "I win, you killed that fake kid."

"Goddamnit, Levy," Gray groaned, "There isn't going to be a bunch of children running lose on the island that I need to watch out for."

Levy shook her head in disagreement before she clarified, "This exam isn't about what you can just do on the island, it's about how you act when you are on missions all the time. Master won't let all of your team become S-Class mages if all you do is destroy everything. Erza should know better, but she gets carried away. If all your team does is destroy things, then you are no better than the bad guys we face."

Gray helped Levy over to their engawa before he grabbed the first aid kit and added, "Sometimes damaging buildings happens to stop a larger mess from happening, like people dying or getting injured by 'the bad guys.'"

"I know that," Levy agreed before she winced as Gray rubbed some alcohol on her wound to clean the cut, "But you really need to focus on controlling your magic enough so that when you can stop it, you will. Don't just go blindly into destroying and punching your way through things."

Gray harrumphed as he stuck a bandage on Levy's knee before he grinned and replied, "Still, you are one sick fuck Levy McGarden. Making a doll in the shape of a kid…what the fuck was that about?"

Levy sweatdropped before she scratched the back of her head nervously and admitted, "I thought if it was a kid then you would be able to stop your magic…so I think that means you are a sicker fuck than I." Then the bluenette's face turned bright red at her sailor mouth—she was becoming as bad as Cana.

Gray began to laugh harder before he added, "It cracks me up when you swear."

"It's been unavoidable being stuck here with you," Levy teased.

"That is very true," Gray replied before he put the first aid kit away, "So how do you think the other groups are doing?"

"Probably good," Levy admitted, "Freed and Juvia will be tough. Freed is extremely intelligent, and strong, and Juvia is strong too.

"Yeah," Gray agreed, "When Juvia tries, she is one of the strongest in our guild."

"You should tell her that," Levy encouraged.

"And have her faint or drool over me? Nah," Gray replied as he laid out on the engawa next to Levy with his shirt off.

Levy handed him a bottle of water and asked, "Chill?"

Gray quickly touched it and cooled it down to just the right temperature that Levy liked before the blue haired woman continued, "Natsu was already a monster, and Lucy was becoming one too. She worries me the most to be honest."

Gray's brows furrowed before he admitted, "Me too. She took on Jura and was going to win if time hadn't ran out."

Levy took a drink of water before she nodded her head in agreement and added, "Hopefully she will have to fight Gildarts or something at the beginning. Perhaps that will drain some of her magic."

Gray wasn't too sure before he asked about the last group of partners, "Cana and Gajeel?"

"Cana should be easy enough," Levy shrugged, "Gajeel will be like Natsu, tough."

The Ice-Make Mage snorted before he replied, "I wouldn't brush Cana off so easily and besides don't you like Gajeel? If he heard you comparing him to Natsu would piss him off."

"I know Cana is tough, I just think she will be the easiest to take out," Levy clarified. Then the bluenette blushed a little before she admitted, "I do have feelings for Gajeel, but I don't know if they are reciprocated. There are times where I think he likes me, then other times I am not sure."

"Perhaps you should tell him," Gray stated honestly. He didn't normally give relationship advice, but he and Levy had gotten a little closer because of this pairing. He thought it was interesting how they had grown up together in the guild, yet he never really got to know her. Then he looked at her and warned her, "Still, I don't think you should dismiss Cana too quickly."

Levy just shrugged her shoulders before she stated, "Maybe after the trials I will tell him, but in regards to Cana, you asked my opinion and I gave it. I think if Gajeel wasn't on her team, she would be the easiest to take out. I doubt either of them have read the books at all."

"Well, I can't say I will do great on the books either. I still have one more to go," Gray admitted before he asked, "Ready for round two?"

Levy nodded in agreement before she sat her water bottle down. Then as Gray hopped up and helped her up he said, "No fake children this time."

"No promises," Levy replied with a smile as she prepared herself on the training field.

* * *

Gajeel watched in the distance as Cana held up one of her cards before she placed it on her arm and the Fairy Glitter spell manifested itself onto her. It had been something she had been working on every day since they arrived at their training location. Cana had admitted to him that she wanted to be able to cast it without Mavis's help, but every day she had failed. However, Gajeel had a feeling that today she would be able to cast it.

He watched in silence as the woman stood in front of the largest tree in their area, then smiled as the emblem shone a bright red before Cana started the incantation, "Gather! O river of light that guides the fairies! Shine! In order to perish the fangs of evil! Fairy Glitter!"

He shielded his eyes from the light, but then heard nothing and felt the magic fade away. He opened his eyes to see Cana clutching her fists together before she cried, "Mother Fucker!"

He watched as she crumbled to her knees and began to sob. He wasn't one to show emotions but watching his new partner fall to her knees in defeat tugged at his iron-like heart. He walked over to her and knelt beside her before he reached his arm over and pulled her into his chest. He felt her resistance at first before she gave in and began to sob on his chest. The two had gotten to know each other very well the past few weeks and even before they were assigned to be partners, he knew enough about her to know that she didn't often cry in front of people. She was one of those few people who could carry her pain and hurt on the inside—like him. It was one of the things he began to admire about her, but he couldn't help but hope that one day, she would let him carry some of her burdens.

"I don't understand," Cana finally spoke, "Every day and night, we train our asses off. We run, we lift weights, we battle each other…I just don't fucking get it."

Gajeel took a deep breath before he replied, "Perhaps it is not your magical ability that is lacking, because you are more than strong enough. Maybe you are overthinking it."

"That's easy for you to say," she scoffed, "You are a Dragon Slayer. You don't even have to try to be strong—you just are. Look at Wendy! She's a goddamn kid!"

"Hey, I try!" Gajeel replied with a gruff voice.

"I'm just saying that your magic is almost innately powerful, whereas people like me and Lucy have to work our goddamn asses off ten times harder than you just to get on your level," Cana argued.

Gajeel was silent for a moment before he admitted, "I don't know if what you are saying is true or not, but I do now one thing." Cana's purple eyes looked at him before he continued, "You and Bunny Girl are that much more of a threat, because of your magic. You are smarter and because you have had to work at it for so long and hard, it almost makes you want it more. If I had to bet, you two are going to blow everyone away. However, I am glad that it is you that is on my team and I know without a doubt that before we meet back up with everyone, you will have this spell mastered."

Cana gave him a weak smile before he added, "Let's get you some lunch."

As the two walked beside each other towards their house, Cana butted her curvy hips into him before she asked, "Since I didn't get the spell mastered today, and because you feel  _sooo_  bad for me, does that mean I get to have a little bit of tequila at lunch?"

Gajeel chuckled in amusement, because Cana had cut back her drinking a lot during their training—well her day drinking, before he replied in a joking tone, "Sure, you goddamn drunk."

**After lunch…**

"Do we have to get out of bed?" Cana cooed as she glided her slender fingers across Gajeel's chest gently.

The Iron Dragon Slayer felt very proud of himself as he laid on his back with his arms behind his head. One thing was for certain, he had no idea walking into this month long training session would lead him down a path of passion filled days and nights. The naked woman curled up beside him had somehow broken down every wall he had tried to build around himself and he wasn't sure how it even happened.

Then reality hit him when he remembered why they were there before he replied, "Only if you want to win."

She let out a heavy sigh before she sat up on their sleeping mat. He watched in admiration as she held the white sheet up to cover her breasts but left her beautiful, tanned back exposed to him. He let out a low growl of pleasure before he leaned up and began to trail kisses on her bare shoulders. However, his kisses quickly stopped when he noticed the sudden mood change in his partner. "Hey, what's wrong?" Gajeel asked.

Cana tucked her lustrous brown hair behind one of her ears before she admitted, "Gaj, I really don't want to lose—you or the exams."

He was left sitting in shock before he asked, "Me?"

Her purple eyes locked onto his red ones before she admitted, "I've never had a real relationship before, just friends with benefits or one night stands."

Gajeel began to scowl as he thought about Cana being with other men before she nudged him with a smile and added, "But I like you. You've been really great, even though you are such a grump most of the time. I really appreciate you training me and helping me get stronger."

The Iron Dragon Slayer snorted before he replied, "I like you too. You don't have to worry about me going anywhere."

"So," Cana began to ask with some hesitation, "I don't have to worry about anyone else?"

He looked confused before Cana punched him in the shoulder and snapped, "Levy!?"

"Shrimp?!" He asked in confusion before he shouted, "No!"

"God I sound so High School," Cana grumbled before she asked, "So you don't like her?"

Gajeel leaned back on his mat before he replied, "Honesty, yes I used to—but I swear that there is nothing between her and me and I don't have feelings like that for her anymore."

The Iron Dragon Slayer watched as the woman next to him began to relax before he nudged her and teased, "You probably should have asked me that before you seduced me."

She rolled her eyes before she laid back down next to him and replied, "You wish I seduced you. I just needed to get off."

He couldn't help but laugh before he replied, "Me too."

"Liar," Cana replied as she smacked his chest.

Then Gajeel scowled at her before he asked, "What about these friends with benefits things? Is that what I am? Is that what Bacchus is?"

Cana grinned at him before she replied, "Jealous Gajeel is really cute."

He snorted and turned his head away from her before she replied, "You don't have to worry about anyone else after we leave here and I like fucking you wayyy too much. Besides, Bacchus is too much of a drunk to get it up half of the time."

Gajeel couldn't help but bark out a laugh at Cana's honesty before she grew serious and asked him, "So did you finish that last book?"

He took a deep breath before he answered, "Yep, I have read all of them."

"Me too," Cana replied, "I just wish I could figure out why they were left here or what they will have to do with the exams."

"Well…it is an exam," Gajeel stated before he shrugged his shoulders, "There will probably be a quiz.

"You mean like in school?" Cana asked.

"It's just an idea," Gajeel admitted.

"Guess we will find out," Cana replied before she jumped up and let the covers fall off of her naked body. She turned around and smirked at Gajeel who was admiring her form before she held out her hand and stated, "I think I am ready to try Fairy Glitter again. Nothing clears a girl's mind like cumming five times."

He got a devilish grin on his face before he praised himself, "Yeah, I'm pretty impressive in the bedroom."

Cana decided not to help him up and instead shrugged her shoulders as she began to walk off before she called back to him, "You can say that after you beat the record of how many times I cum in one session."

His eyes grew wide before he asked, "What's the record?"

"Twelve," Cana called out because she was already standing on their engawa.

"What the fuck?" Gajeel growled as he shot up and wrapped a sheet around his naked torso and chased after his partner.

* * *

Lucy had trouble sleeping the rest of the night. Natsu had fallen asleep next to her and was snoring loudly; however, she couldn't sleep because she just had a terrible feeling that something bad had happened to both Laxus and Orga. That dream was just too realistic for her, plus it would still be a few days before Mira and Master checked in and she had no way of knowing if the two men were safe or not.

Feeling extremely frustrated, she kicked the blankets off of her, got up and went into the kitchen. She actually really loved the quaint wooden house that they were staying in. She loved the sliding doors that led to the small veranda-like engawa that overlooked their training yard. But what she really loved about tonight was the fact that Mira and Master Makarov were not strict with what they packed for fun items for them. She smiled as she reached into the refrigerator and pulled out the semi-sweet red wine she had been chilling. After she sat it on the counter and popped the cork, she contemplated whether or not she should pour a glass…she knew she was drinking most of this bottle if not the whole thing, but drinking straight from the bottle was very un-lady like. As she stared in the cupboard eyeing the glassware, she heard her partner snoring even louder in her room before he murmured in his sleep, "Erza, I'm going to kick your ass."

Lucy just snorted in amusement and whispered to herself, "Who cares if I'm going to be un-lady like for one evening…it's just Natsu," before she put the bottle to her lips and took a long swig. An instant chill washed over her as the wine took the edge off. She could never hold her liquor well, but her and Natsu were trying their best at training for even stupid things. For example, Natsu was working on his motion sickness…most days it ended with him puking, but he was at least trying. So Lucy thought it would be best every night to have at least one glass of wine so that she didn't have another night like she did at the club in Crocus. Plus she wouldn't put it past her crazy guild to have a drinking competition, they were all bat-shit crazy. Also, luckily tomorrow was their day of rest for the week, per Capricorn's instruction, so she knew that she wouldn't have to get up at the ass-crack of dawn.

As she thought about the training the past two and a half weeks, she felt pretty lucky because her spirits always hung out with them in the evening. She couldn't even imagine how the other teams were doing…only getting to speak to each other every day. Like what the hell were Juvia and Freed talking about? Were they even speaking? Then there was Gray and Levy…knowing Levy she was passing out constantly because Gray was stripping down naked. The little bluenette was a prude. Finally there was Cana and Gajeel. Those two were the wild card, but most likely they were constantly at each other's throats. She and Natsu definitely had it the easiest and they had barely over a week to go before they met everyone at Hargeon Port. Lucy wasn't worried about the trials at all, she knew that she and Natsu would do just fine. She was surprised at how much faith she had in herself now and her abilities. If it wasn't for her adventures on Samui Yama…she probably wouldn't be competing as one of the final competitors to become an S-Class Mage.

"Want some company?" a beautiful voice asked her.

She looked up from her bottle of wine and saw Andromeda smiling back at her. Lucy felt extremely embarrassed because her lips were still on the bottle from her last drink. "Uh…yeah, sure!" Lucy replied quickly, "I would offer you some wine…but um…"

"I don't mind drinking after you," Andromeda laughed before she made a new bottle of wine appear and added, "But I also brought my own."

"Nice," Lucy smiled back before she asked, "Do you want to sit on the engawa and watch the snow fall or in front of the fireplace?"

"Hmmm…how about the engawa, so maybe we can drown out Natsu's snoring," Andromeda pointed out.

"Good thinking," Lucy agreed before she grabbed her coat and her bottle of wine. The snow had continued to fall almost every day during their training and she found it to be so beautiful. As the two women sat down on the edge of the engawa, Lucy looked over at Andromeda and asked, "So what brings you out in the middle of the night?"

"I could tell that you were a little restless," Andromeda admitted as she poured herself a glass of wine. Lucy noticed how the wine seemed to swirl like glitter as though it were a glass of twinkling stars.

The blonde looked up at the snowy sky, everything outside was so quiet and peaceful before she replied, "I couldn't stop thinking about that dream I had—or even if it was a dream."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Andromeda asked as Lucy took another swig from her bottle.

Lucy's eyes seemed to glaze over as she recalled the dream, "Everything was dark…then there was Laxus and Orga. They were both wounded and there was so much blood." Andromeda watched Lucy's expression before the blonde continued, "Then there was a man…he told them that he would make them watch as he tortured me and that they wouldn't be able to stop him." She quickly wiped a tear away before she admitted, "If it was just a dream, why on earth would I dream something so horrible up? Then if it wasn't just a dream, I feel so completely helpless."

The spirit took another sip of her drink before she answered, "I do not know if it was a dream or not; however, my gut tells me that it wasn't just a dream." Then the spirit pointed to the lacrima that hung around Lucy's neck. "That lacrima was given to you by Orga to keep you safe, but perhaps it has side effects that even he doesn't know of. Lacrimas can hold vast amounts of magical energy and perhaps you caught a glimpse of what is happening on the outside world."

Lucy clutched the lacrima with a worried look on her face before Andromeda added, "I do not say these things to worry you, and it is just a guess. However, what I do know is both Laxus and Orga are incredibly powerful—chances are that man is no longer standing since he threatened you."

The blonde couldn't help but laugh a little because what Andromeda said was very true. She knew she wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of both Laxus and Orga working together. Then Andromeda asked her, "Are you not worried though about the man's threats on your own life?"

"Of course not," Lucy replied, "If I come across whoever this jackass is, then I will be sure to let Virgo punish his ass for beating up my Lightning Men."

Andromeda and Lucy both began to giggle at Lucy's blunt comment, and Lucy was certain that Mira was dying from a nosebleed somewhere, but the blonde knew that the alcohol was finally speaking for her.

Then Andromeda added, "I think that shows how much you have grown as a person. I remember a scared girl on the mountain who was very afraid." Lucy grew solemn in contemplation before Andromeda continued, "Now you do not fear yourself or your abilities and a lot of that is because of those two men. They both push you to be stronger inside and out."

"You're right! I'm also sure you are right and that they are safe and will come out fine. There is nothing I can do about it now anyways, because I am not allowed to leave and if I did I would instantly disqualify myself. Then if it turns out that there was nothing to worry about…they both would be humiliated if I quit just to save their two asses. They'll be fiiiiine…just like their fine asses," Lucy finished with a hiccup. Then she looked at her bottle and said, "This tastes so good."

"Try mine," Andromeda handed her the shimmering bottle of wine.

"This one is so pretty with the swirls," Lucy admired as she held it up.

"So whose ass do you think looks better?" Andromeda blurted out in curiosity.

"I don't know," Lucy admitted after she tried Andromeda's wine, "Honestly I haven't even really thought about it or them very much since Natsu and I came here to train. I am just so focused on kicking ass and taking names!"

Andromeda blurted out a giggle, because the two girls were getting drunker by the second. Then Lucy stated honestly, "To be honest though, either ass would look good chained up in my bed. Naked."

Virgo's ears must have been burning, because the pink haired woman popped out with her eyes gleaming in amusement before she asked, "Punishment?"

"Ohhhhh, there will be Virgo!" Lucy cheered a little too loudly.

All three women were laughing, when suddenly the door behind them flew open and Natsu stood there with messy hair and his eyes half closed before he shouted, "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON OUT HERE?"

"Kyyyyaaaaaaa! Gomen, Natsu!" Lucy cried and the three women bowed before him.

"Oh my god," Natsu wined, "You guys were being so loud.

"Says the man who was snoring like a train!" Lucy yelled in her spirt friends' defense.

"What!?" Natsu yelled in shock, "You want to go, Lucy!?"

"Hells yeah I do!" Lucy stood up, a little unbalanced, "Want me to kick your ass for the two-hundredth time since we've been here, Flame Brain?"

"What!? You sound like Ice Princess! That's it, Luce! I'm about to hand you your ass on a dinner plate!" Natsu cried back, his mind still groggy from sleep.

"That doesn't even make sense!" Lucy shouted back drunkenly.

"You're right, because your ass wouldn't even fit on a plate!" Natsu teased.

He didn't have time to react, but heard the two spirits gasp in horror. Then before the Fire Dragon Slayer knew it, he was face down in the snow with a drunken blonde on his back. Natsu felt a cold shiver run down his spine before Lucy laughed evilly and replied in a dark tone, "You are going to regret making fun of my sexy ass, my dear friend."

**In the woods near Lucy's and Natsu's cabin...**

Miles away a deer was drinking silently out of a stream, then it raised its head in confusion when a man screamed so loud that all of the birds sleeping in the trees flew away from the sound.


	61. Chapter 61

rga arrived back at his house late in the evening. His body ached all over from the fight with Tadashi. He knew he'd have to change his bandages tonight after he got out of the shower, but first he needed to call Sting.

The God Slayer went and sat on one of his bar stools before he pulled out his communication lacrima to call his friend. It wasn't long before Sting's annoyingly cheerful face appeared and exclaimed, "Orga, you're back! The Rune Knights called and told me that you and Laxus defeated some jackass named Tadashi and helped Lady Coralie get to where she needed to go."

When Orga didn't respond, the young Master took a closer look at his friend and said, "Orga, you look like shit."

The large man chuckled and replied with a deep sigh, "Yeah, but we've got bigger problems Sting."

Then for the next hour, Orga told sting everything he had found out; how Minerva was there, Jiemma's involvement with Tadashi and Coralie, the threat against Lucy, and finally Jiemma's plans for revenge.

The young master was silent throughout Orga's update. After the report, Sting admitted, "Honestly Orga, I'm not surprised that Jiemma would want revenge on us."

"I'm not either," Orga winced as he tried to readjust, but the bandage tapped tore at his flesh in the process.

"How soon do you think he will attack?" Sting asked for guidance.

"Tadashi made it seem like the moment Lucy made her choice," Orga replied in a grim tone.

Sting rolled his eyes and replied with a smile, "Well you know if that's the case then we at least have a few weeks, plus it doesn't matter at all what she chooses."

When Orga didn't respond, Sting added in a serious tone, "Orga, look at me." The God Slayer looked into the lacrima at his master and felt hope. Sure Sting could be an annoying piece of shit most of the time, but the guy had a good heart and was a great leader. Orga was proud that Sting was his guild master. Then Sting continued, "You know as well as I that Fairy Tail and the other guilds won't sit quietly by if we are attacked—with or without Lucy by your side. Besides even if she chooses Laxus, you have earned her respect and love. She won't forsake that, nor would she let her guild. We won't fight this battle alone and we will protect what we have built here. We are stronger now than we were when Jiemma was master and I won't let him destroy everyone's happiness."

"You're right, thanks Sting," Orga replied with a faint smile.

"Of course I'm right," Sting agreed with a grin, "All the great Masters are."

Orga rolled his eyes before he stated "Goodnight, Sting."

"Wait! Seriously!" Sting pleaded.

Orga turned back to look at the lacrima when Sting added, "Seriously though, I will call the other guild masters tonight and ask if they can have an emergency meeting tomorrow to get a contingency plan in action." After a brief moment of silence, Sting added, "And Orga...thank you for protecting us and everything you do for our guild family. If we went by Jiemma's old rules, I know you should technically be the guild master and I want you to know that I look up to you a lot."

"You were the right choice for our guild master," Orga replied with a faint smile, "Don't doubt yourself, because you are doing a great job—for the most part."

"You just had to throw that last part in there," Sting replied with a laugh before he threw in, "Now seriously, go get some rest because you look like shit!"

Orga instantly cut off the lacrima's power and stripped down. It was good to finally be home. As he made his way to his bathroom, he opened up his curtains to see the panoramic view of the country side in his bedroom. It always looked beautiful this time of year as the snow fell across the land.

He sat down in a large chair in his bedroom and began to peel off the bandages that were seemingly all over his body. He took a large inhale as he thought about how he would see Lucy again soon and his beautiful friend, that he loved more than anything would be an S-Class mage. He had enjoyed his mission with Laxus more than he thought and noticed that Laxus's attitude towards him had changed quite a bit. No matter what the next few weeks held, Orga just wanted Lucy to be happy and if that was with Laxus then yeah it would suck—but she would be happy and that is what mattered the most.

As he watched the snow fall, his heart ached at the thought of Minerva or Jiemma coming after the guild and after Lucy. He'd do whatever he could to protect all of them.

* * *

It was late at the guild and most people had already gone home for the night when Laxus returned. He knew that Bicks and Ever would already be home, so he'd catch up with them tomorrow.

When he entered the guild hall, Mira and Kinana were both still cleaning up. The white haired woman looked up from a dish she was cleaning and gasped, "Laxus you're back!" Her eyes took in his appearance before she asked in a worried tone, "Do you want me to call Wendy?"

"No, don't wake her. Is Gramps upstairs?" Laxus asked.

After Mira nodded her head, Laxus made the climb up to his Gramps's office. He knew that they couldn't do anything tonight to help Sabertooth, but he felt honor bound to at least report what he knew. It really bothered him that this renegade group was almost blackmailing Lucy from being with Orga. He knew how Lucy always put everyone else's needs before her own and he knew that when she finds out about this threat against Sabertooth, then she will feel guilt for dragging Fairy Tail into it. The first thing though that ticked him off was how he wanted to win Lucy's hand far and square, he wasn't going to let her feel guilty about shit. If she wanted to be with Orga then she was going to be with him damnit. If she wanted to be with him, then he really wanted her to choose him—not just chose him to protect Fairy Tail from getting involved. Then he wanted to tell her that even if she and Orga weren't interested in each other, Fairy Tail still wouldn't stand by and watch their allies fall under attack. They were trying to right the wrongs of their past, help others, and raise families. That didn't deserve an attack from their old fucked up leader. However, the thought made him chuckle as he thought of how Precht had attacked them now almost eight years ago.

Laxus had reached the outside of his Grandfather's door and was about to knock but then he heard his Gramps's voice say, "Thank you for letting me know tonight, Master Sting. I'll be sure to make it tomorrow and will leave first thing."

"Thanks Master Makarov," Sting replied, "I'll call Master Bob now. See you tomorrow!"

Once Laxus knew the conversation was over, he knocked on the door. "Come in," Makarov answered.

When the Dragon Slayer walked in, his Gramps spun around in his chair and gave him a welcoming smile, "Welcome back, my boy."

"Hey Gramps," Laxus replied as he took a seat in one of the arm chairs, "So I take it you already know about Sabertooth's fucked up old leader?"

Makarov got a deep frown on his face before he answered, "As you are aware, there was a threat against Sabertooth on your mission with Orga." Laxus nodded his head in understanding before Makarov finished with, "So Sting has asked that all the allied guild masters meet tomorrow to discuss a plan. I think Sting went into more details with me, in regards to Lucy, then he will the other Masters. However, we will stand with them no matter what."

Laxus could tell that his Gramps was really troubled, then to his surprise Makarov wiped a tear from his eye and added, "Laxus, it just breaks my heart. Sabertooth is basically a guild full of children just like my own. Their former master should have been protecting them and helping them grow. Now he is on a mission to make them suffer."

"Well Gramps, Precht kind of did the same thing to us and you—ya know?" Laxus reminded him.

Makarov's eyes seemed to glaze over in thought before he replied with, "You are right, my boy. Fairy Tail is not immune to a dark past. I am just so thankful every day that we have the guild we have now."

"As are all of the members," Laxus reassured him, "Speaking of guild masters, where's Mavis?"

Makarov got a mischievous smile on his face before he replied, "On a secret mission of top importance!"

"Whatever," Laxus laughed before he yawned.

"My boy," Makarov eyed his grandson, "You look like shit. You should go home."

Laxus didn't know if it was because he was incredibly tired or not, but he just laughed at the insult and replied, "Will do. I'm sleeping in tomorrow, so be safe on your trip. Is it in Crocus?"

Makarov nodded his head and said, "Yes, and I will let you know the plan when we get back. I am thinking that if we all unite, then Jiemma will find it more difficult to attack the guild so openly. However, I will make an announcement during the trials once we are all back together."

"All right," Laxus yawned again as he stood up to leave, "Take care, Gramps."

"You too, my boy," Makarov smiled.

* * *

The snow was still falling all over Magnolia when Laxus left the guild to head to his house. He loved peaceful nights like this. Even though he could still feel the pain and exhaustion in his bones from his and Orga's fight with Tadashi, he wanted to walk all the way to his house. Magnolia was beautiful at night. Everyone was already in bed and the only lights that shone were those of the street lights. It reminded him of the night that Lucy returned after her mission with Orga and he walked her home. He missed her, but he knew she was safe because she had Natsu. Even if Minerva or Jiemma found out where she was right now, Natsu could protect her.

As he made his way closer to his house, a deep scowl fell on his face as he recalled a conversation he had with the bubbly blonde in Crocus during the Fall Festival…

_"You ready for tomorrow?" He asked._

_"Ready for it to be over with," Lucy grumbled._

_"Not everyone who competed in both of Fairy Tail's teams will even compete, because we outnumber the other guilds," he stated before he asked, "What are you going to do if you get matched up against Orga?"_

_"Fight him obviously," she sighed out._

_"You'd actually fight him?" he asked her in surprise._

_"Why wouldn't I?" she asked._

_"No reason. I'm not sure I could fight you," he stated._

_"What are you going to do in the S-Class Exams then?" she asked and Laxus detected a hint of annoyance in her voice._

_"Guess we will see when we get there," Laxus replied._

_Lucy frowned at him before she said in a firm voice, "I'll expect you to fight me with everything, Laxus."_

_Laxus studied her for a moment before he nodded his head in understanding._

However, that time had now come and he felt like he was no better off than he was then. Yes he knew she was stronger, but to him—she was still sweet, kind Lucy. He had no idea how he would be able to fight her at full strength.

* * *

**The Next Day…**

Sting paced around one of the meeting hall rooms that he reserved while he waited on the masters from the other guilds to arrive. Rogue, Frosch, and Lector just watched their young anxious friend while Yukino buzzed around the room preparing things so that Sabertooth would like good hosts instead of a bunch of young jackasses who didn't know what they were doing.

After a few minutes, Yukino said in her sweet, polite voice, "Master Sting, I have set out some pastries and drinks for the other Masters."

"Thanks Yukino," Sting replied with a sigh.

Yukino and Rogue exchanged worried glances before the Shadow Dragon Slayer encouraged his best friend, "Sting, everything will be fine. The other guilds will help."

"That's not what I am worried about," Sting replied in discouragement, "I'm worried about everyone in our guild, the young families we are getting like Veronica, Diane, and Eve. Now there is the Coral family too and they have two children. What if Jiemma goes after them?"

Rogue didn't know what to say because Sting's points were valid. The Coral family just joined Sabertoth last week and the parents, Riku and Mari, were barely older than Rogue, Riku. With them they brought their one year old child and new born. Sabertooth was crazy excited, because they wanted to be a guild that cherished family and the Coral family was wonderful. Eve was ecstatic and felt like a big sister. Mari, the mother, even let Sting hold her newborn infant, Katsu. The guild was slowly healing from its dark past.

Finally the silence was broken when Frosch piped up, "Frosch thinks so too. Master Jiemma was scary. He scared Frosch."

"And Minerva," Lector admitted as the Exceed shook in fear.

Yukino remembered being scared of Jiemma too—she remembered how not that long ago she had been victimized again by the visions at the base of Samui Yama as she had to watch Jiemma kill her spirts. It was a horrible feeling, even though he wasn't really there and it didn't happen. She knew she never wanted to see the man again either. Instead she swallowed her fear for a minute and spoke up, "No matter what happens, Sting, you will get us through it and you will keep us safe. I just know it."

Rogue gave her a faint smile because he could smell her fear, but before Sting could say anything the first of the other Masters arrived. Sting took a deep breath before he looked at his friends and said, "Let's do this."

* * *

Barely an hour went by and finally all the allied guild masters had arrived; Makarov, Bob, Ooba, Goldmine, and Rea—the mysterious Master of Mermaid Heel. Sting felt nervous just being in her presence, she was a large woman with ebony skin and deep green hair. Her eyes reminded her a little of Rogues with cat-like slits in them but instead of red they were a deep amber that shone like jewels. She carried a spear with her and many medal and beaded bracelets covered her arms like the armor that she wore. She seemed like a force to be reckoned with and Sting thought she must be someone incredibly powerful to have the respect of someone like Kagura.

Sting gave about a fifteen minute speech about everything he knew about Jiemma's possible plans, but he left out the part about Lucy's decision because in his mind that was between her, Orga, and Laxus. Towards the end of his speech, the young Master looked at the older Masters and pleaded, "I ask that your guilds help us if the time comes. We have families now and I don't want Jiemma's anger at a handful of us to jeopardize them."

There was silence in the room before Master Bob spoke up first, "My young Sting, you have nothing to worry about—Blue Pegasus will help in any way that you need. You will turn out to be a great guild master, because you care enough about your members to seek for help. What you are building now will last much longer than the fear Jiemma instilled in the past. Do not doubt yourself."

Goldmine grinned before he added, "We will help too."

"You have Lamia Scale's assistance too," Ooba said before she added, "It would be wise to send out scouts to see if we can find Jiemma and end this before it begins."

"I agree with Ooba," Makarov said, "Fairy Tail is getting ready for our exams and then our whole guild will be travelling to Tenrou together. However, until we leave and once we return I will send out people to help with the search for Jiemma. Nobody should engage him alone, just report back to their Master on where he is. Then one of us will contact all the other Masters and we will go and finish this." Then Sting watched in awe as Makarov stood up and looked at the older Masters and said, "We are making way for a new generation of Masters, we have to protect Sabertooth from the brutality of the past."

Master Bob nodded his head in agreement, but Sting's eyes were on Rea who had not said anything. The woman then met his gaze and gave him an amused smile before she replied, "I would love to assist you. Beating Jiemma again will be quite rewarding in itself."

Here voice was smooth, but filled with power. She made Sting fidget with her gaze before he asked, "You've battled him before?"

"Many years ago, he tried to force himself onto me when we were much younger. He only has one testicle now," Rea stated with a cat-like grin.

All the men in the room couldn't help but cross their legs at the thought, but Ooba and Yukino thought it to be quite hilarious. Then Rea continued, "Jiemma is a foul man who apparently did not learn his lesson, I would be honored to fight alongside you. The women and children in your guild who cannot fight for themselves are more than welcome at Mermaid Heel until things are sorted out; however, the men can go somewhere else."

"Thank you," Sting replied to Rea with a bow of his head.

Rea just nodded back before Makarov looked at him and said, "You have our full support."

Sting felt like he could fight a hundred men now before he laid out a map of Fiore and said, "Thank you everyone, now let's come up with a scouting plan to find Jiemma."

* * *

**Final day of training…**

"Karyū no Kenkaku!" Natsu yelled at Draco, his entire body was on fire as he butted heads with the ancient Dragon.

Lucy couldn't help but feel a little sad for Natsu. Almost every day Natsu tried to fight Draco and got nowhere. However, today she noticed something different about Draco—he too looked sad.

"Karyū no Saiga!" the Fire Dragon Slayer yelled as he tried to claw at Draco. Natsu's breath was ragged from exhaustion.

Then before Natsu could try another move, Draco slammed his massive claw onto the ground and spoke, "Enough, Son of Igneel."

Natsu fell to his knees in utter defeat. The entire training ground was now covered in green grass because Natsu's magic had melted any of the snow that was on the ground.

Lucy looked at her spirit when he asked her best friend, "Son of Igneel, why do you insist on trying the same method over and over?"

There were several moments of silence before Natsu admitted in a sad tone, "It's all I feel like I I'm good at and maybe if I were stronger, Igneel would have stayed. I have to be strong so I can protect my nakama."

The blonde was shocked by Natsu's pained honesty. There were probably less than a dozen times were Natsu actually opened up to her and this time it wasn't even to her, but she knew how hard it was for him to verbalize his emotions. It pained her more than anything when she saw him wipe tears away with his arm.

Draco laid down and curled his tail around Natsu and pulled him close. The wise Dragon said in a gentle tone to her friend, "Natsu, there is more to you than brute force. Learn to harness your other senses and use your mind to develop strategies without violence."

"What do you mean?" Natsu asked in confusion.

Draco turned his big head towards Lucy and asked, "What is the name of the woman in your guild that is on your team?"

"Erza," Lucy replied with a smile.

Draco turned back towards Natsu and said, "Lucy, you are not allowed to answer—but Natsu, what is one of Erza's weaknesses that has nothing to do with fighting?"

"She has none!" Natsu yelled definitely.

"Everyone has a weakness," Draco laughed.

"Not her," Natsu argued and he shook at the thought of Erza finding out about him even talking about her weaknesses.

"Hmmmm," Draco hummed, "Do you think Lucy would have the same response?"

Natsu turned to look at her. His gaze was so intense that it made her fidget before he replied, "No, Lucy would know because she is smarter."

"Of course she is smarter," Draco stated bluntly, not even harming Natsu's feelings in the process, before he commanded, "Now Natsu, think like how Lucy would think if she were fighting Erza."

Lucy and Draco waited patiently for nearly ten minutes before Natsu finally said in a soft tone, "I think Lucy could use Gemini, Virgo, or Lupus."

"Why is that?" Draco asked with intrigue in his voice.

"Well…" Natsu spoke slowly as he thought about his words carefully, "She could use Lupus for a direct attack because he is just as good as swordsman as Erza."

"That is true," Draco agreed before he asked, "But is that really her weakness?"

"No," Natsu admitted, "I think that is why Gemini or Virgo could help. Gemini could easily transform into Jellal, if Lucy had him copied, and leave Erza into a stuttering mess."

Draco and Lucy both smiled at Natsu answer before the Dragon Slayer continued, "Virgo likes to bring Lucy snacks. So Virgo could just bring Erza a piece of Strawberry cake and if she really wanted to be evil—it could have a sleeping potion in it."

"WELL DONE!" Draco boomed in response.

Lucy knew she was grinning like an idiot and she could tell that Natsu was feeling a little better from his posture. Finally Draco added, "You obviously have different abilities than Lucy, but my point to this lesson was think before you act. In a battle you know you are going to fight, think about all angles before blazing in and making stuff up as you go. If you can master these things you will be an unstoppable force, my young friend. Understand?"

Natsu nodded his head in understanding before Draco said in a serious tone, "Now in regards to your comments about Igneel leaving and protecting your nakama…" The Dragon Slayer looked down at the ground in shame before Draco stated, "Igneel would never abandon his hatchling for not being strong enough. I knew him enough to know that he would have loved you with all of his heart and only extraordinary circumstances would have torn him away from you. He would be proud at the man you have become."

Lucy couldn't help it when tears welled up in her own eyes at the heart to heart between her best friend and her spirit before Draco finished with, "It is honorable that you wish to protect your nakama with all that you are, no doubt a trait you picked up from Igneel; however, remember to rely on their strength as well."

"I understand," Natsu replied in a serious tone just as he and the large dragon rested heads on each other.

"Now," Draco said, "I believe you to have a cause for celebration. That was an intense month of training and tomorrow begins your journey to Tenrou."

"Wait!" Natsu yelled, "So you must have a weakness. I will keep trying and someday, I will beat you!"

Draco got an amused smile on his face before he replied, "I'm not mortal—I have no weaknesses."

Lucy giggled at Draco's response and Natsu just rolled his eyes before the spirit added, "Good luck my young friends and I look forward to be called out during the exams." Then in a flash of starry light, the dragon disappeared back into the spirit realm.

Natsu grinned at Lucy before he said, "I can't wait."

"Me neither!" Lucy replied as she hopped up off of the engawa, "However, I think we should pack before we get too carried away with our little celebration."

Suddenly, Virgo popped out and stated with a smile, "I have already packed yours and Natsu's belongings, Hime-sama and have prepared a lot of snacks and drinks so that the party can begin."

"Hells yeah!" Natsu yelled as he started running towards the kitchen.

"NOT SO FAST!" Lucy yelled at him as she stuck out her arm—smacking him right across the chest so hard that he fell backwards off of the engawa.

"What the hell, Luce?" Natsu whined pitifully as he rubbed his chest.

She rolled her eyes at his pouting and replied, "You're fine, but go shower first because you stink. Otherwise I will make Virgo take all the food to the Celestial Realm."

"Can't you let me off the hook for one night?" he pleaded.

"No," she replied in a stern voice, "It's called discipline."

"Oh my god!" Natsu groaned, "You are turning into an old woman."

Lucy just smiled at him because she knew she had won the argument as Natsu went off to the restroom.

Once Natsu was in the shower, Loke popped out to have a word with his Master as Virgo and Lucy began to pour a few glasses of sake for all of Lucy's spirits that would be coming out to join them throughout the evening.

"Princess," Loke laughed, "you better not get too drunk tonight."

Lucy couldn't help but laugh as she held her hands up and replied, "I promise I won't and I am limiting myself to only one. Even if I can have Gemini change into Wendy, I want to have a clear mind tonight and tomorrow. There will be plenty of time to get shitfaced after the trials."

Loke was already leaning back in a chair when he replied, "That is very true. Are you feeling nervous?"

"The old me would have been," Lucy admitted, "I remember last year—no wait…eight years ago now, how nervous I was and how I was afraid I would let Cana down." Then she paused for a moment before she added, "This time, I'm not nervous at all. I know I can stand my own against any of my peers or any of the S-Class mages in our guild. I'm ready."

Loke gave her a catlike grin before he stated, "That's my, girl."

"I'm not your girl," Lucy laughed with a roll of her eyes, "And you shouldn't lean your chair back so far—you're likely to fall."

"Lucy, I'm the Lion Spirit—that's a big cat and I'll be fine," Loke replied with a wink before he added, "And you're right you aren't my girl, just my Princess that I will love for all eternity."

"Luce doesn't need a man," Natsu added as he ran into the kitchen with his hair still soaking wet from his shower and with nothing but his boxers on.

The old Lucy would have been mortified seeing Natsu this way, but after living with him constantly for a month…nothing fazed her. It was just like what she imagined having a little brother would be like as she watched him stuff his face with as many meats and cheeses he could fit in at once.

"You're right, Natsu. She doesn't need a man—yet she has more than her fair share of selection. All these men wanting your attention makes me jealous," Loke pouted.

"Oh my god! I can't wait for other company besides you two!" Lucy laughed as she slapped Loke's shoulder, "I've been outnumbered by testosterone for a month!"

"What's testyrone?" Natsu asked as he started devouring the sushi.

Lucy just shook her head and watched as Virgo just kept handing Natsu more and more food before she replied, "Ask Gray, I've had enough answering male anatomy questions for a while."

Once Natsu had filled a plate full of food, the four friends sat around the table together and held up their sake glasses to make a toast. Loke grinned at them and said, "To Lucy and Natsu; best friends, partners in crime, and future S-Class mages—here's to one hell of a training month and to kicking all of your friends' asses for the next few days."

"CHEERS!" Lucy, Natsu, and Virgo all yelled in unison.

After they downed their drinks, Lupus, Andromeda, and Plue were the first to come out and start enjoying the celebration. Virgo cranked up the music and Lucy just sat back and watched as her closest friends began to let lose.

She looked out the window and saw that the snow had begun to fall again. She took a deep breath and knew that soon she would compete for the status of becoming an S-Class mage and soon she would have to face Laxus and Orga and let them know her decision. But tomorrow she knew that without a doubt she would see Laxus Dreyar again and that thought put a smile on her face.

* * *

 

**Author's Note about the chapter:**

**Since Mermaid Heel doesn't have a known Guild Master, I made up Rea and I pictured her to be like an Amazon warrior. To me it just made sense, since she leads a guild full of just women. Plus I thought it would be fun to add in a little extra backstory with Jiemma, because I really don't like that man.**


	62. Chapter 62

Lucy and Natsu weren't the first to arrive at Hargeon Port, there ready to greet them was Master Makarov, Freed, and Juvia. "Hey everyone!" Lucy waved in excitement as she saw her guild mates and Master.

"Lucy-san, Natsu-san," Juvia replied with a smile.

Lucy blinked in surprise that Juvia didn't call her 'Love Rival' before Freed added, "Hello, Natsu and Lucy. How was your training?"

"We're all fired up, Freed!" Natsu yelled in excitement before he asked, "You want to test me out?!"

Freed just kept a content smile on his face before Master chastised Natsu in a loving way, "There will be no fighting until the island."

"Awww, man," Natsu pouted before he went back to stand by Lucy who was starting to shiver from the snow. He had grown accustomed to being her personal space heater over the month and recognized when she needed extra warmth.

"So Freed," Lucy asked with a smile, "Are you ready to see your team and Laxus again?"

Freed gave a brisk nod before he replied, "Indeed, I hope that I do not disappoint them in any way during the exams."

"I'm sure you won't," Lucy stated with a smile before she turned to Juvia and asked, "How about you, Juvia? Are you excited to see Gray?"

"Juvia will be happy to see all of her friends—especially Lisanna, because Juvia has missed her," Juvia replied normally—well except for the talking about herself in the third person.

Lucy and Natsu both picked upon on how "normal" Juvia sounded—especially with how she blew over Gray's part in it all. Then before Lucy could ask her guild mates anything else, she heard her blue haired friend call out from behind her, "Hey guys!" The blonde turned around and smiled at Gray and Levy and Lucy was practically tackled to the ground by Levy. "Lu-chan, I've missed you!" Levy yelled as she nuzzled into Lucy.

"Levy-chan, I've missed you too. How was your month with Gray?" Lucy asked with a smile as she returned Levy's hug.

"Good, minus the constant stripping," Levy laughed.

Gray just tisked as he put his arm behind his head and replied, "Whatever."

"Gray, clothes," Natsu, Lucy, and Levy all said in unison.

"Shit," Gray murmured as he searched around for his coat and pants.

"I see training didn't stop you from being a pervert!" Natsu called out to Gray.

"Fuck off, Ash Brains," Gray yelled as he chucked a snowball in Natsu's direction.

Lucy just smiled and grabbed ahold of Natsu's arm so that her best friends wouldn't get in a fight in the port and destroy the ship before they could go compete for the S-Class exams. However, she didn't have to hold onto Natsu for long when Master Makarov extended his arm and playfully smacked Gray on the back of the head and said, "Gray, I've already warned the first four—no fighting until the island."

"Alright," Gray replied with a smile before he went to stand next to Lucy and Natsu. The Ice-Make Mage elbowed Lucy and said in a serious tone, "Missed you."

"Same," Lucy replied happily before she linked her other arm through Gray's. She had missed him and wished that they could have been a team of three before she added with a wink, "But Natsu and I will try and take it easy on you."

"Yeah," Natsu laughed, "So suck it, Gray."

Gray just rolled his eyes at Natsu and Lucy looked over at Juvia who was politely talking to Levy and Freed and the blonde couldn't help but notice that Juvia had hardly paid any attention to Gray's arrival and hadn't drooled over him at all—plus she mentioned nothing about Levy seeing Gray practically naked for a month. She knew something was up.

Then Master Makarov broke her concentration when he said, "Ahhh, finally our last competitors."

Lucy looked over and her jaw practically hit the dock and busted through the boards and down into the water when she looked up and saw Cana walking side by side with Gajeel and her arm linked through his.

"What in the actual hell?" Gray whispered to her, because he was in just as much shock as she was.

Lucy looked over and saw an equally surprised Freed and Juvia; however, Levy…Levy was a new shade of surprise. The bluenette first looked stunned, but then Lucy noticed that her friend's fists and jaw began to clench together as her eyes narrowed towards Cana and Gajeel. She knew that this couldn't be good.

However, Natsu—being Natsu, just yelled and waved, "Oi! Cana! Gajeel!"

"Hey guys," Cana smiled towards them.

Gajeel on the other hand just munched on the metal toothpick in his mouth. Then when Cana and Gajeel came over to stand by Lucy, the blonde noticed a small metal stud in Cana's nose.

"Cana!" Lucy yelled, "Did you get a nose ring?"

"That's seriously the first thing you ask about?" Gray whispered to her in disbelief.

The brunette gave them a wink and replied, "Yeah, Iron Rod here gave it to me last night."

"Iron Rod?" Gray asked with an arch to his eyebrow.

Lucy knew that Cana was just an honest person and wasn't meaning anyone any harm, especially Levy, who now looked like she was on the verge of tears, when the Card Mage replied, "My nickname for Gaj here. Because his cock is as big as…"

Lucy's mouth fell open in shock and she was relieved when Master Makarov cleared his throat and said, "Well it looks like all my children are now here, so let's get started!"

"Master, where is everyone else? I thought that we were all going to Tenroujima together?" Freed asked.

Makarov smiled at them and began to wave them onto the boat that they were all taking before he replied, "Everyone else arrived at the island yesterday to set up camp and make preparations. They have been checking in every few hours, per the other guilds' request."

The trip was already starting to feel awkward because Lucy could tell that Gajeel could sense Levy's displeasure. She was rather curious herself, because she knew that Levy liked Gajeel and she thought that Gajeel had liked Levy too. Either way, she didn't think it was a good way to start out the exams with almost half of the S-Class competitors in some weird love-triangle. Then she huffed at her own thoughts—who was she to judge people in love triangles? She was basically the freaking poster child for it.

"Luce, can Horologium come out now?" Natsu asked her with pleading eyes while the boat was still stationary.

"Mmhmm," Lucy nodded before she summoned out the Clock Spirit.

"Ehhh, what the hell is this?" Gray asked in confusion.

"Natsu is going to ride in Horologium on our way to Tenrou," Lucy replied with a smile as Natsu climbed into her clock friend.

"That's absurd," Gray huffed, "Horologium is going to be standing on the boat with Natsu inside? That's basically Natsu standing on the boat."

"'Oi, shut the fuck up Ice Prick. Horologium is not transportation.' He says," Horologium replied in his robotic like voice.

Lucy just sweatdropped as Gray pressed his face up to Horologium's glass and yelled, "Lucy uses him for transportation!"

She could see that Natsu was getting angry when his mouth started moving, "'Happy and Horologium are the same.' He says."

Gray just sighed and looked at Lucy and asked, "How in the hell did you live with this for an entire month?"

"The logic works for him," Lucy replied with a laugh.

"If that's what you call logic," Gray teased her.

She just shrugged her shoulders before she added, "Either way, I don't mind using Horologium for Natsu, he doesn't require using much magic at all. I could easily have him out all day and not feel a drop."

Gray let out a low whistle before he replied, "Damn Lucy, even though we are best friends, I kind of hope we do get the chance to fight each other during the exams."

Lucy nodded her head in agreement before she admitted, "I am really excited to get to the island. It will be so nice to see everyone again—especially Erza and Happy. They have probably missed us so much."

"Yeah," Gray agreed, "After the exams, we should all go on a mission together. It doesn't even have to be an S-Class one."

"If Erza gets her pick, we will all perform a play together again," Lucy laughed.

Gray began to laugh in agreement just as the boat began to depart, Master Makarov stood on top of a small barrel and cleared his throat before he interrupted the catching-up of conversations, "Now I have a few rules as we make our way to the island. Rule number 1: Absolutely no fighting on the boat, which means no Runes on the boat—Freed, no using Gemini to copy anyone on the boat—Lucy, and no other hindering magic."

"Damn," Lucy whispered because Master Makarov had already thrown a hitch into her plans—she noticed the same expression on Freed's face.

"Rule number 2: Once we have finished every night, there will be no fighting either," Makarov stated before he added, "However, once we reach the island, and during the allotted exam times, you are allowed to use your magic as you see fit. Any questions?"

"Will we meet up with the other guild members at night?" Freed asked.

"Good question, Freed…but no. The contestants will have their own camping spot. The only interactions you will have will be with myself and the other S-Class Mages."

Then Juvia asked, "Master, can you tell us what our first task will be?"

The Guild Master smiled at the Water Mage and replied, "Another excellent question, but for now all I will tell you is that you will all start at the exact same time."

Everyone looked like they were already thinking about what it could possibly be before Makarov finished with, "Now my children, if there are no more questions, I want each of you to just relax and spend this time catching up with your guild mates. You have all been apart from each other for a long time. There will be plenty of time to compete during the exams, but for now—just enjoy the ride."

Lucy noticed that Levy immediately went to go stand on the edge of the boat with her back turned to everyone—she also noticed that Cana and Gajeel picked up on it too. The blonde looked at them and whispered honestly, "You guys both know that I will support whatever decision you make—just try not to let it ruin a friendship."

However, Gray was not as tactful and asked the two as he pointed between them, "What the fuck is this anyways?"

Cana looked at Gajeel who said, "I'll go talk to Shrimp—you handle these two."

The brunette just nodded as the Iron Dragon Slayer went over to talk to his friend. Lucy and Gray both looked at Cana and awaited an answer. The Card Mage rubbed her arm up and down as she looked down and replied, "It just kind of happened one day."

"What did exactly?" Gray asked just as Lucy elbowed him to hint at him to shut his mouth so Cana could finish.

"Well sex," Cana replied bluntly.

Lucy's mouth fell open before she blurted out, "Oh my god, how was it?"

"Fucking perv," Gray laughed as he elbowed Lucy back.

"Fan-fucking-tastic," Cana winked before she added in a more serious tone, "But the more time we spent together, the more we realized that we actually liked each other. He's really sweet once you get to know him and he treats me well."

Gray just rubbed the back of his head and replied, "I can't really picture Gajeel being sweet, but I guess as long as you are happy then that is what matters. But if he treats you bad though, I'm going to kick his ass."

"Me too," Lucy added in with a smile, "But seriously, I am really happy for you guys."

"Awwww," Cana replied before she threw her arms around Gray's and Lucy's necks, "You two are so cute!"

"Hai, hai," Lucy waved at the surprisingly sober woman.

"Speaking of men," Cana added, "Luce, did you decide which Lightning Stud you are going to bang once the exams are over?"

"God, I really don't want to hear about either of your sex lives anymore," Gray groaned as he went over to talk to Freed and Juvia.

"You're just jealous because you aren't getting any!" Cana yelled back at him.

The Ice Make Mage flipped her off as he continued to walk away, but then Lucy replied to Cana, "I honestly still don't know."

"Whaaaaaat?" Cana replied before she pulled out a small flask and added, "I think we need to have a seat and a drink so you can tell me what is up."

"'Don't let her drink too much or there will be a fight on the ship,' He says," Horologium called out to them as he voiced Natsu's concerns.

"Jesus, Luce—did you turn into a violent drunk instead of horny one this past month?" Cana asked as the two girls took a seat away from everyone else.

"Only when someone makes fun of the size of my ass," Lucy huffed, "Plus it's a little hard to be a horny drunk when you are around someone like Natsu."

"'I heard that,' He says," Lucy faintly heard Horologium say.

Then the blonde let out a heavy sigh before she admitted, "Cana, I honestly don't know because I tried not to think about either of them. I wanted to focus on becoming stronger and I didn't want the extra distraction. The only time I really thought about them was when I had this weird dream a couple of weeks back."

Cana listened quietly as Lucy described the dream she had about Orga and Laxus. Then she told her friend about Andromeda's theory on why she could have seen the vision.

The brunette listened in silence and once Lucy was finished, the Card Mage stated, "That's one shitty dream."

Lucy just nodded in response before she took a sip from Cana's flask. The blonde choked a little and replied, "Dammit Cana—Vodka this early?! You didn't even add any cranberry to help it."

Her friend just shrugged in response before she replied, "Cranberry is for the weak."

Lucy rolled her eyes in response before Cana added, "But I don't think you have anything to worry about. I think if Laxus were injured then Master wouldn't be so calm right now—plus I am pretty sure he would have already told Freed since they are best friends and on a team together."

The blonde looked over at her Guild Master who was also drinking and the elderly man seemed absolutely fine. She let out a sigh and replied, "You are probably right."

"Of course I am," Cana laughed as she took her flask back, "But I wanted to say too, thanks for supporting me and Gajeel. He really does mean a lot to me. Also, I want you to know that I will support your decision with the man you choose. Obviously I hope it is Laxus because he is like my brother, but you are like my sister and I want you to be happy. If Laxus makes you happy that's fantastic—but if Orga makes you happy then that's fantastic too. Just as long as he treats you well."

"He does," Lucy replied with a soft smile.

"Good," Cana stated as she looked over at Gajeel and Levy, "Man they have been talking for a while."

Lucy looked over to where Cana's gaze was and noticed how Levy seemed her bright cheery self as she rambled to Gajeel. "Yeah they have," Lucy agreed.

"You know I wouldn't have done anything with Gaj if he had had any feelings for Levy, right?" Cana asked her friend.

"Cana, you seriously do not have to worry about me judging you at all. I know that you aren't that type of girl," Lucy reassured her friend, "But I also hope for your sake that Levy doesn't hold a grudge, because I thought she liked him."

Cana just nodded and replied, "I'll talk to her later, but honestly—she looks pretty cheery if you ask me."

Lucy couldn't help but notice how Cana was right. Levy was laughing with Gajeel and smiling a lot, maybe a little more than she normally would. Either way, Lucy just hoped that the new romance didn't cause a rift in the guild. Lucy was friends with both women and she didn't want to have to choose sides—especially since soon she would already have to choose between two people that she cared about.

After a few minutes, Gajeel came back over to them and Cana asked, "How did it go?"

"Fine," Gajeel replied in a monotone voice, "Shrimp is cool with us."

Lucy noticed how Cana glanced in Levy's direction. The Solid Script Mage once again had her back to everyone and Lucy knew that she should go speak to her friend shortly to check on her, but then Juvia came up and said with a smile, "Gajeel-san, Cana-san, congratulations on being a couple."

Gajeel patted his old friend's shoulder in thanks before he sat down next to his girlfriend.

"Awww, thanks Juvia," Cana winked before she asked, "So has Gray missed you so much that he confessed his love to you?"

Lucy's jaw, once again nearly fell off from jaw dropping news when Juvia replied, "No, but that is ok. Juvia is no longer interested in Gray-san."

"What?!" both girls asked in unison before Lucy added, "He is just 'san' now—no longer 'sama.'"

However, Gajeel replied, "About goddamn time. You were too good for him."

Juvia just smiled at Gajeel and replied, "Yes, Juvia thinks so too."

"Woah, woah, woah," Cana stated, "What changed girlie?"

"Having Freed-sama as a friend," Juvia replied, "He showed Juvia that Juvia should be cherished—like how he cherishes Mira-san. So Juvia will wait for her prince charming."

Lucy couldn't help but smile at the new confidence that Juvia had in herself, she looked over at Gray who was now talking to Levy and patting her on the back. It had been just a month and yet everyone seemed to have grown and changed so much. She knew how much Natsu had matured, in his own way, now people were developing relationships or ending old ones. In her heart she wanted all of her guild mates to be happy, she just hoped that nobody burned unnecessary bridges.

Lucy took the opportunity to sneak away as Cana, Gajeel, and Juvia caught up to go over and check on Levy. Gray was still standing over next to his partner when Lucy walked up. He gave her a quick 'good-luck' glance before he said to Levy, "Hey, I'll let you and Lucy talk in private."

The bluenette tensed up a little before Lucy leaned over the side of the boat to look at the water with her friend. Lucy wasn't entirely sure what to say, so she just asked, "Do you need to vent?"

"Nope," Levy replied quickly and shortly.

Lucy side glanced her friend and Levy had the most stoic face that she had ever seen on the blue-haired girl, before Lucy added, "Well, if you do need to talk—you know I'm here."

Levy just huffed before she replied, "Just like how you support Cana and Gajeel? Sometimes you have to choose a side Lu."

"Levy," Lucy whispered in shock, "I don't have to choose sides, because both of you are my friends. You know Cana would never do anything to purposely hurt you." Lucy was a bit shocked by how defensive Levy was towards her, it wasn't like her friend at all. However, if Levy was trying to hide her own hurt then it made sense. It didn't make it right, but it made sense.

"I really don't want to talk to you or anyone about this right now, ok?" Levy snapped, "I want to focus on becoming an S-Class mage."

Lucy glanced over her shoulder towards Gray who just shrugged his shoulders, like he didn't know what to do either. The blonde just looked at her friend and added, "Well I'm here if you need me."

When Levy didn't reply, Lucy walked over to Gray and said, "This can't be a good way to start off the exams."

Gray let out a sigh and replied, "No it can't. I just hope she can concentrate on the exams. She's been busting her tiny ass every day for a month, I don't want some drama to fuck with her—she's come too far for that."

Lucy looked at her friend and smiled a little, because it seemed Gray had matured quite a bit too. The old Gray probably would have been more worried about how Levy's attitude might affect his chance at becoming an S-Class Mage; however, that is not how Gray was acting at all—he was concerned for Levy because she was his friend and he knew how badly she wanted to become an S-Class Mage as well.

She looked around the boat at her guild family. Everyone was the same—yet different. Freed, Juvia, Cana, and Gajeel were all sitting and talking with each other, Natsu had already fallen asleep inside of Horologium, Levy had pulled out a book and was reading on the edge of the boat, Master Makarov was already asleep too, and Gray had stripped down and went to lay down. She thought about how much had changed the past few months and without a doubt she knew that this was only the beginning of change for all of them.

* * *

**A few hours later…**

"There it is," Gajeel stated as he pointed toward the island that was still nearly invisible to Lucy.

"Damn Slayer eyes," Lucy grumbled as she ran towards the edge of the ship.

It had been several hours and the girls, except for Juvia, had changed into less clothing. Lucy didn't wear a bathing suit this year since she knew how unpractical it was now to wear a bathing suit and try and fight—especially if she were to have to go up against any of the S-Class Mages today. Instead she opted for a pair of black spandex booty shorts, a white breathable tank top with an extra support sports bra, since she might be running like crazy, and her running shoes. She had her whip and keys ready to go as she tied her hair back into a high pony tail. She felt jittery and excited—this was finally it. She felt like it was a huge milestone for her and her spirits.

Horologium came over stand by her and she smiled because she could see that Natsu was raring up and getting excited before Master Makarov cleared his throat and said, "Listen up, brats!"

Everyone grew quiet before the Master continued, "We will pull up on shore where the other S-Class Mages will be waiting with a packed lunch for you that you will take with you during your first trial."

"We will need a lunch for the first trial?" Cana asked her Master in confusion.

Master Makarov smiled at her and replied, "Yes you will, because the first part of the exam today each of you will do solo and it will take nearly the whole day—and that is if you are good."

The young mages all looked at each other before the Master added, "The first part of the exam today is….."

Lucy was practically shaking Horologium, with Natsu still inside, when Makarov finally revealed, "Each of you will enter one of the tunnels by yourselves. I hope each of you read those books that were left for you because there will be a series of intricate questions that you have to answer accurately—or you will suffer the consequences!" Then the Master threw his hands on his hips, looked up at the sky, and began to cackle wildly.

"Fuck," Cana groaned as she took a swig from her flask.

However, Lucy noticed that Freed and Juvia looked at each other and nodded in happiness. Lucy knew Freed enough to know that he probably had all four books memorized entirely. Gray and Levy high fived each other because Levy would have this one in the bag too. Lucy looked at Natsu and the Fire Dragon Slayer looked at her in worry before Horologium said, "'I'll do my best, Luce. He says.'"

Lucy gave her partner a smile, because she knew how hard he had studied those books—especially since she had to help him and quiz him over them. "You'll do fine, Natsu," Lucy reassured him.

Lucy and Horologium turned back towards the island and Lucy couldn't help but crack up when Horologium said, "I'm all fired up. He says.'"

* * *

It wasn't too much longer when the boat finally arrived at the island. Once it stopped, Horologium went back to the spirit world and Natsu jumped up in excitement before he pointed a finger at everyone and yelled, "We are totally going to kick your asses!"

"Try to remember that the first competition has to do with brains, dumbass, because we all know you are the weakest there," Gray joked as everyone began to exit the boat.

"Why you," Natsu growled as he tried to go after Gray.

Then in a voice, scarier than Erza's, that made the other mages' spines tingle—Lucy stated, "Natsu, stay."

"Hai!" Natsu saluted her quickly and froze, because he did not want to incur the wrath of his blonde friend.

"Damn, Bunny Girl is as scary as the Demon and Scarlet Monster," Gajeel gulped.

"Awww, what's wrong, Natsu?" Gray goaded his teammate, "Did Lucy neuter you?"

Everyone could see that Natsu wanted to blow-up at Gray; however, Lucy turned her gaze towards the Ice-Make Mage and said in the same scary tone, "Gray, leave my partner alone."

"Yes ma'am," Gray replied as he bowed before Lucy.

Everyone laughed as Natsu and Gray walked off the boat behind Lucy with their heads down in respect. Master Makarov sighed in relief, because maybe now the destructive team would finally stop causing so much unnecessary damage.

Once Lucy stepped onto the beach, her breath caught in her throat when she saw Laxus Dreyar standing on the beach staring at her with an intense gaze. She audibly gulped because he was wearing black swim trunks and a skin tight white t-shirt. He looked damn near edible—or at least lick-able.

However, her pervy thoughts were broken when Erza yelled, "LUCY, NATSU, GRAY!" Then before she knew it, she was in a death grip up against Erza's breast plate and with Gray and Natsu pressed against her back."

"C-can't breathe," Gray tried to choke out.

"Gomen," Erza replied briskly as she released them, "I do not want to injure you before your exams."

"We missed you too, Erza," Lucy laughed.

"Hells yeah we did!" Natsu grinned at the warrior woman, "I can't wait for you to see me and Luce. We are so freaking strong!"

Erza nodded her head in agreement before she stated, "I have no doubt that you all will do excellent."

Lucy looked over at Laxus again who was now talking to Freed. The two men were smiling and Lucy figured that they had missed each other just as much as Lucy had missed her team. She also noticed in her peripherals that Gildarts was glaring at Gajeel and Cana was standing in-between the two large men. The blonde almost felt bad for Gajeel, because if the Iron Dragon Slayer had to go up against Gildarts—chances are Gildarts would be extra tough on the man that was now dating his precious, baby girl.

After a few minutes of catching up, Mira and Master began to hand out packed lunches to the contestants. Lucy took this opportunity to sneak over towards Laxus for a minute, now that Freed finally went to go speak with his girlfriend.

She smiled because Laxus must have had the same idea, because he was already heading her way. She didn't even think about it when she reached out and wrapped her arms around his waist and squeezed as hard as she could.

"Jesus, Blondie—you give hugs like Erza now," Laxus choked out a laugh.

"Hai!" Lucy stated as she beamed up a smile at him, "How have you been?! I've been worried."

"Why have you been worried?" Laxus asked curiously with an arch to his eyebrow.

Lucy realized that she would probably sound crazy, but she went ahead an admitted, "Well I had this terrible dream about both you and Orga." She knew she had to be quick because she was going to start the exams any minute, but she gave him a brief description of her dream before she ended with, "Basically I was just worried sick about you both."

She watched as Laxus took a deep inhale. He noticed that his Gramps was getting ready to start the exams and he didn't want Lucy to worry during the first trial so he just put his hand on her shoulder and said, "Orga and I did do a mission together and I promise that we are both fine. We can talk more about it tonight though when you guys are all done. For now, just focus on the exams and do the best that you can."

Lucy let out a relieved sigh, because that was a good enough of an answer for now; however, she laughed and replied, "I can agree to those terms. Although it is hard to picture you both on a mission together."

"It worked," Laxus smirked at her before he nudged her, "I think Gramps is getting ready to start. Good luck today."

"Thanks," Lucy smiled before she gave him one more death grip hug and ran over to go stand by Natsu. She knew she had to get away from Laxus and fast, because the man smelled so damn good and she hadn't realized how much she actually missed him until she heard his deep voice and smelled his intoxicating sent. She knew she had to get her shit together and concentrate.

Mira had just handed her a lunch and some water when Makarov said, "Now that each of you has a lunch, please line up in front of one of the cave entrances—it does not matter which one because they are all exactly the same."

Natsu grabbed Lucy's arm and yelled, "WE ARE TAKING NUMBER ONE AND TWO!"

"He said they were all the same!" Lucy laughed at her partner.

"Don't care!" Natsu responded.

Just as everyone lined up at an entrance, Master Mavis came out of one of the caves with a big smile before she announced, "I am sure Master Makarov has informed you about the first challenge; however, I would like to expand on it." Everyone grew deathly silent so that they could hear the First Master of Fairy Tail before she said, "Each of you will be asked 100 questions throughout the cave. Some of them will be timed, some of them won't be. Depending on how you answer, depends on some of the results."

"What do you mean?" Levy asked for clarification.

However, the First Master wasn't giving anything away when she smiled and replied, "You will see. Remember, once you are inside, you can use your magic in any way that you see fit. I will tell you that there is no way to leave the cave without attempting to answer all of the questions, answering them wrong for the sake of just answering them will mean the quiz will change and the challenges will become harder, and there is no way that you can interfere or help with any other contestants' answers. Each of you are entirely on your own with only your magic to aid you. Now good luck to all of you!"

Lucy barely had time to register everything before Master Makarov yelled, "BEGIN!"

Everyone stood where they were except for Natsu who darted into the cave as fast as he could laughing like a lunatic. Lucy looked over her shoulder to see Laxus looking at her. The blonde Dragon Slayer gave her a wink and he mouthed, "Good Luck."

The blonde smiled and mouthed, "Thanks," back at him. Then she turned to enter the cave that was in front of her, just as the other contestants entered their own separate caves.

Lucy walked slowly through the entrance so that her eyes could adjust; however, she was no more, than a few steps into the cave when she came across large purple writing in the cave that read  **QUESTION #1**.

She took a deep breath before she read the question out loud, "If Fairy Tail destroys a spice shop in Crocus that is 375 feet from the castle, and it takes 90 days to get the store rebuilt and restocked, how much does Fairy Tail owe the shop owner and the Capital of Crocus? Key: There were 700,000 jewels worth of supplies in the store."

"Fuccckkk," Lucy whined as she summoned out Virgo. The Maid Spirit smiled at her and Lucy asked, "Virgo, can you bring me a light pen so I can write in the air? Master is starting off with Math right away!"

"Of course, Hime-sama," Virgo laughed before she popped back into the spirit world for a second, then Lucy smiled and summoned out Crux.

"Grampa Crux, I need your help remembering all of those weird rules about Crocus and taxes when it comes to merchants," Lucy sighed out just as Virgo handed her a light pen so she could write the problem out to answer the question.

Lucy turned towards Crux, just as Virgo went back to the Celestial Realm, and began to think and write out-loud, "I remember that in Crocus, if any merchant's stall or store is destroyed by any magical event that is not the direct fault of the owner's, the capital has to reimburse them for all damages, plus an additional 30% is charged if a regulatory guild caused the damage for every day that the merchant cannot sell his or her goods. The responsible guild will also have to reimburse the Capital for the initial damages of the store, which is the cost for rebuilding the store and all goods lost during the time of the incident that otherwise could have been sold."

"Lucy-sama, don't forget that there is an additional tax that must be paid if the store or stall is within so many feet from the castle," Crux reminded her.

"That's another 20%," Lucy sighed as she began to scribble out the problem.

She honestly didn't know how she felt about this challenge. She had always been smart, so this exercise while clearly challenging was frustrating when she wanted to put the beat down on someone. However, she couldn't help but smile to herself, because Master Makarov was clearly trying to ingrain a more mature guild with this part of the exam and make them all think before they acted. However, she knew that poor Natsu would struggle with this and hoped that her partner would stay calm and try and answer the questions the best that he could.

It took Lucy a little over five minutes to solve the answer correctly before she sighed and moved ahead to the next question. She kept Crux out because she knew she would need his assistance in remembering everything, plus she made sure that Crux found copies of all four books while they were training—so to her it was basically an open book exam. However, she knew ultimately that this was still a competition and even if they didn't have the books—Freed and Levy would be formidable opponents.

But she smiled to herself as she approached the second question, whether it was intelligence or strength—she had complete confidence in her abilities to be the champion of the S-Class exams.

* * *

**Outside of the cave…**

Laxus walked up to his Gramps who had just finished giving Master Bob and update. All of the guilds were worked up and worried that Fairy Tail would be attacked again or somehow end up disappearing for another seven years. Plus the news that Jiemma wanted to obliterate Sabertooth didn't make anyone feel better.

Master Makarov had already informed the S-Class Mages of Fairy Tail and for the past week, he and Erza had been out scouting and trying to find Jiemma's whereabouts—however they had come up empty handed and finding Jiemma was almost like trying to find a ghost. Nobody seemed to know anything about him.

When he leaned up against the rock his Grandfather was sitting on, the old man asked in a sweet voice, "So did you and Lucy give each other smooches?"

Laxus snorted before he replied, "No, you pervy old man."

"Bahhh," Makarov waved off the comment.

"Did you tell any of them about the threat against Sabertooth?" Laxus asked his Gramps.

"I have not informed any of them yet, because I want their minds to stay focused on the exams. If anything happens to Sabertooth while we are here we will be notified, but you and I both know that the chances of that happening are slim—plus they have the protection and support of the other guilds. If I say anything now, it will just cause needless worrying," Makarov admitted.

"Well Lucy had a dream about me and Orga being in danger," Laxus stated in a lowered tone.

"Really?" Makarov asked in surprise.

He nodded his head in response before he replied, "I am going to tell her tonight what happened, because somehow she knew exactly what happened to us."

"That is wise of you not to keep it from her," Makarov agreed, "However, I trust your judgement on how much you divulge tonight—we don't want her to worry or feel guilty about Tadashi's threats about if she chooses Orga."

Laxus didn't like the position he felt like he was put in, but he knew he had to try and do what was right by Lucy—even if it meant he was going to lose her to another man.

However, his Grandfather broke him out of his dark thoughts when he said, "Now my boy, you better go relax because for all you know, you might get have to fight Lucy at the end of the day and I bet she can kick your ass real good now!"

Then the old man began to cackle wildly at his own joke. It was true that the top four who got the best on the test section would have to fight one of the current S-Class Mages upon completion and the bottom four would have to fight each other; however, he hoped that today he would not have to fight Lucy because he still wasn't sure how he could fight her at full strength—not when he cared so deeply for her.


	63. Chapter 63

Lucy's brain ached with epic proportions when she walked out of the cave and into the sunlight. Her fingers rubbed the temples of her head as she headed towards Master Makarov, Freed, and Levy. Four hours. Four whole hours it took her to complete the test inside of the cave. Each question was harder than the last and if you got one wrong, you were shot at, in all directions, with various magical traps that Mavis must have conjured up. The first question that Lucy got wrong, because of a mere discrepancy, was question 31. Luckily she was extremely fast now, because when she made the mistake and got the question wrong, it had initiated a water balloon rig that began to rain down on her. However, because of her speed, she quickly summoned out Aries who put a wool umbrella over her and Crux to soak up the water—allowing them enough time to side step it before the wool umbrella gained too much water and fell to the ground. It had been a very long day so far.

"Congratulations, Lucy," Master Makarov smiled at her, "How was the test?"

"Hard," Lucy sighed before she took a seat next to all of them, "But I think I did well. What happens next?" She was thankful for the person who set up the lawn chairs and umbrella shades outside so that the competitors could relax. Now she just needed a Mai Tai in this tropical heat.

"Master said we have to wait to find out how we are ranked," Freed replied with a smile before he grabbed a bottle of water out of the cooler that was present and offered one to Lucy.

"Thanks Freed," Lucy said with a smile as she accepted the token. Even though to them it had only been a year since they had last been to Tenroujima, she had forgotten just how muggy and humid the environment was on the island. The caves felt wonderful and cool, but the moment you stepped outside of them—your clothes began to stick to you.

She noticed that Levy was still not in a talking mood as the Solid Script Mage read from a book quietly, so Lucy asked Freed, "Who finished first?"

Freed tried not to sound too boastful when he admitted, "I finished about an hour and a half ago, then Levy finished about 20 minutes ago…now you."

"An hour and a half ago?!" Lucy yelled with a laugh, "What the hell, Freed?!" She had grown quite fond of the Rune Mage after their joint mission together in Oak Town. She found him to be delightful to talk to and quite humorous that Laxus, Bickslow, and Freed were all best friends. They had such extremely different personalities—yet somehow they worked.

The Rune Mage just shrugged his shoulders before he continued, "Master also told us that it is not about who finishes first, but also how many questions were answered correctly."

Lucy gave Freed a smirk before she replied in a sarcastic voice, "Buuuuuut, let me guess…you didn't get any wrong did you?"

Freed blushed a little before he answered, "No, I got them all right."

"Of course you did," Lucy laughed before she flicked Freed with some of the condensation off of her water bottle.

The Rune Mage also laughed before he asked, "And how did you fair?"

"I missed five," Lucy sighed, "Three of those five I knew the right answer, I was just getting ahead of myself." The blonde then turned to Levy and asked, "How did you do, Levy?"

The blue haired woman didn't look up from her book when she replied briskly, "I missed six."

"That's still pretty good—94%!" Lucy exclaimed.

However, Levy did not acknowledge Lucy's praise and continued to read. Freed and Lucy just looked at each other and Freed gave her a slight shrug because of Levy's behavior. Lucy wasn't surprised too much that Levy was distracted, she was clearly upset about Cana and Gajeel. For now, Lucy would keep being a friend to Levy, but she knew eventually that if Levy kept giving her unnecessary sass then she would have to put her foot down. She knew Cana and Gajeel well enough to know that if they were together, then it was because they really wanted to be and they would have never intentionally hurt Levy if something were actually between Levy and the Iron Dragon Slayer.

Lucy turned around to see Master Makarov drinking from a mug on a giant rock and asked him, "So is there a way to know how far along everyone is?"

Makarov smiled and replied, "Mavis reports in every hour on how far along everyone is. On the last round, just before you and Levy came out, Juvia was on question 75, Cana on 72, Gray on 63, Gajeel on 54, and Natsu on 45."

Freed gave Lucy a pained look because of Natsu's placement, but Lucy just smiled because Natsu was doing the best that he could. She also knew that once it came time to fight, that no team was going to be a strong as them, so she didn't let anything get her down—especially if the tests weren't all about speed. Natsu had studied really hard during their month of training over all of the books, but she also knew that knowledge wasn't amongst his strongest skills. In fact, most people would say he had no skills in that area. However, she still had faith in her best friend that somehow he would pull through.

Lucy wanted to distract herself from the idea of how long all of them were really going to have to wait until they could move onto the next challenge, so she looked at Freed and asked, "So Freed, after the exams are you going to spend some time with Mira first or your team?"

Freed blushed a little before he replied, "Mira gets my attention first. When we all got the chance to speak once we got here, she was not very happy that I spoke with Laxus first."

The blonde couldn't help but giggle at Freed's devotion to Laxus but then his next statement surprised her when Freed added, "It wasn't because I missed him more, I just really wanted to talk to him about Juvia joining our team."

Even Levy stopped reading for a moment and Lucy asked in surprise, "Really?"

Freed nodded his head briskly before he continued, "I found Juvia to be a true and loyal friend during our time together. I also feel like ever since she joined Fairy Tail that she has actually been quite lonely, so I asked her to join us and believe wholeheartedly that she would make an excellent addition to our team."

Levy went back to reading her book, but Lucy smiled at Freed warmly and asked, "So are you the reason why she doesn't appear to be obsessed with Gray anymore too?"

The Rune Mage shrugged his shoulders and replied, "I just told her that she is a remarkable woman that any man would appreciate. She deserves to be happy."

"I couldn't agree more," Lucy said in response. While Gray was a good friend of hers, she even felt bad at times at how cold he was towards Juvia. However, Juvia also came on really strong. In the end, it would be best if they could just be friends. Then maybe if they found their way back together someday, after they had both done some maturing, then it would be ok. But right now, Lucy knew Gray wasn't there so Juvia needed to love herself more.

After Lucy took another drink of water, she asked, "So what did Laxus say?"

"He said he'd talk to Bickslow and Evergreen about it, but I am standing by Juvia," Freed replied firmly.

"I would expect nothing less of you, Freed," Lucy commented, "You are a very honorable man."

"Thank you," Freed replied with a smile.

Lucy took a deep breath as she leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes. It was only 3:30 p.m. but if Natsu was only around question 45 then the mages would all be sitting and waiting for a while. Everyone was changing and growing up. She hoped for Freed's sake that Laxus and the others would agree to let Juvia join their team and after she thought about it some more, Juvia and Freed were a lot alike. Both were extremely powerful, but often didn't show their full strength, and they were loyal to a fault. But no matter what the future held for them, she knew that after these exams there was still a lot of growth to be had on everyone's part—herself included.

* * *

About thirty minutes went by when Master Mavis appeared from the caves with a smile and announced, "This is going to be a close one! Juvia is on question 98 and Cana is on question 99!"

Freed and Lucy both opened their eyes and leaned forward in their seats. Question 99 was tough, and Lucy was secretly cheering for her brunette friend. She turned towards Mavis who had taken a seat next to Master Makarov and asked the First Master, "So how far along is everyone else?"

Mavis smiled and replied, "Gray is on 87, Gajeel is on 83, and Natsu is on 72."

The blonde let out a faint sigh at the large gap, but she still had faith in him. Somehow she just knew that he would surprise them all. Then before anything else could be said, Juvia emerged from the cave—but twenty seconds later, Cana also emerged.

Freed shot up from his chair and went to congratulate his teammate and Lucy smiled at Cana and said, "Damn, that was close!"

Cana grinned back and her and replied, "Should have known that you three would already be out here waiting for us."

Then before Lucy could say anything else, Levy stood up abruptly and went off into the jungle. Juvia, Freed, Mavis, and Makarov all noticed the action as well before Mavis asked, "Is Levy ok?"

Cana and Lucy looked at each other before Cana said, "I'll go check on her."

"Cana-san, do you think that is wise?" Juvia asked in concern. Lucy smiled at Juvia because the Water Mage was also very fond of Cana—and Gajeel.

"I'll go with her," Lucy smiled before she added, "That way I can catch Cana up on what happens next and the status of the others."

Everyone nodded as Cana and Lucy wandered into the jungle after Levy. Mavis looked at Master Makarov and asked, "Did something happen?"

Makarov sighed and replied, "Just the trials of young love."

The two guild Masters sat quietly next to each as Freed and Juvia discussed the first trial, before Mavis spoke quietly to Makarov, "Love is a beautiful yet terrifying emotion. Let us hope that what the future has in store for our young friends does not tear them apart, but brings them closer together."

* * *

Lucy and Cana brushed past a giant palm tree limb when Cana asked her, "So did Freed finish first?"

"Of course," Lucy laughed, "Then Levy, then me."

Cana nodded her head in understanding before she stopped walking and blurted out, "Lucy, I really am falling hard for him. I would never hurt Levy on purpose."

The blonde stopped walking and turned towards her friend who was nervously rubbing her arm. Lucy took a deep breath before she replied, "I know, Cana. You really don't have to explain it to me. I trust you completely."

The Card Mage just nodded again before they continued to search for Levy. It didn't take them long before they came to a small hidden waterfall with a lagoon. There Lucy saw her other friend crying and wiping away tears.

"Levy," Lucy whispered. She looked over at her friend, who also saw the little blue haired woman in her saddened state, and the pain in Cana's eyes nearly broke Lucy's heart.

"Hey Levy," Cana cleared her throat, "Can we talk?"

Levy froze in her spot and the stoic wall that Levy had earlier, around Lucy and Freed, went back up. The Solid Script mage didn't look at them when she replied in a harsh tone, "I don't really feel like talking to anyone."

"Alright, if you can't talk—can you listen?" Cana asked as the Card Mage took a step towards Levy who was gathering her things to leave.

When Levy didn't respond, Cana went ahead and continued, "Levy, I'm not stupid. You are clearly upset about me and Gajeel, but you should know that I wouldn't have done anything with him if you and he were a thing."

Levy snorted in response before she shot back, "Honestly Cana, I don't really care what you have to say."

"Levy," Lucy tried to butt in, but Cana held up her hand to cut her off. Lucy hated drama and arguments between friends. It made good fiction, but in real life…it just made her feel sick to her stomach. Especially because she always felt so ill-equipped to deal with it. She just wanted everyone to get along.

Cana took a step closer to Levy before she added in a sincere tone, "Levy, I understand if you are upset, but please don't let this ruin our friendship."

Lucy felt like her blood had frozen over when she heard Levy's response, the bluenette turned towards Cana and stated blunt, "Cana, I've known you since we were kids and you  _were_  one of my best friends. You will get tired of Gajeel eventually, like you do with every other man you sleep with, and when that happens—then Gajeel will finally see who he should have been with all along."

Cana remained silent as Levy walked past them and went back towards the group. Lucy felt extremely uncomfortable; however, it wasn't her emotions that she was worried about right now. She looked over at Cana who was wiping away a tear from her eye. "Are you ok?" Lucy whispered to Cana.

"I will be," Cana replied, "She's just hurting right now. I know Levy though and someday she will apologize for what she just said."

Lucy wasn't going to argue with Cana and she sincerely hoped that Cana was right. Instead of dwelling on the awkward drama, Lucy took Cana's arm and said, "Let's head back and see how Gajeel, Natsu, and Gray are doing."

Cana just nodded and allowed her friend to lead her back to the rest of the guild.

* * *

Thirty minutes later, everyone was surprised when Gajeel and Gray emerged from the caves at the exact same time. Mavis however thought it was an excellent twist. Then before they could ask Mavis about what the tie meant, the little blonde haired ghost giggled and flew away to retrieve the already established S-Class Mages. So all that was left was waiting on Natsu…

* * *

Another hour went by before Natsu finally exited the cave victoriously and yelled, "I'M ALL FIRED UP!"

"Yayyy!" Lucy cheered as she rushed towards her partner and gave him a big hug and asked, "So how did you do?"

Natsu looked at her with one of the most serious expressions she had ever seen before he grabbed her shoulders, looked her in the eyes, and replied, "I only missed 29 questions."

"WHAT!?" Gray and Gajeel yelled in unison.

However, Lucy ignored the other two men before she yelled, "Natsu! That's a 71%! You passed!"

"Fuck," Gray spat out, "I missed 30 questions."

"Me too," Gajeel grunted, "This is bullshit."

"Babe," Cana asked in surprise as she tried to stifle a giggle, "Natsu beat you?"

"I still finished first," Gajeel snorted as he crossed his arms in annoyance that he lost by a single question.

"But it's not about finishing first is it?" Master Makarov interjected before he stood up on his rock, drunk as hell, "Now, if you will all follow me for the final round of today's challenges!"

Lucy and Natsu high fived each other as they followed the rest of their guild mates into the jungle.

"So how did you do, Luce?" Natsu asked in excitement.

"I only missed five questions, but Freed and Levy both beat me out of the cave," Lucy replied.

"Sweeeeet," Natsu responded, "I hope we get to fight something or someone this next challenge, that way I can pull my own weight. Thanks for doing so well, but I knew after that first question that you were going to kick ass."

Lucy smiled at her best friend as she patted his back and said, "Natsu, we will do just fine and don't be hard on yourself—you did really awesome and I am really proud of you. You've grown a lot."

"So have you, Luce," Natsu smiled before he laughed, "You don't run around screaming for me to save you anymore. Now everyone will come running to me to save them from you."

"Jerk," Lucy laughed before she pushed him into a bush.

"See what I mean?!" Natsu called out from the bush, "You're a freaking best, Luce!"

* * *

Soon they came to an open field where Mavis, Laxus, Erza, Mira, and Gildarts were all waiting for them. Natsu began to punch Lucy's shoulder in excitement at the chance to face off against one of the S-Class mages when Master Mavis stepped forward and said, "Well done, Fairy Tail members. I am pleased to announce that all of you received passing scores on the exam. Fairy Tail is known for being strong and reckless, but we can't just rely on our strength—in order for us to grow as a guild and stay ready for any challenges that face us, we have to grow our minds too. By studying during your month away, not only did you learn to rely on each other, but you learned to think before you act."

Makarov cleared his throat before he added onto Mavis's speech, "Now we will discuss the rankings, as I mentioned before, it was not about who finished first. Sometimes the quickest route doesn't always mean the best."

Mira walked forward and held up a lacrima screen before she winked at Freed. Makarov then pointed at the screen in a dramatic fashion before he announced, "Freed Justine takes 1st place for not only finishing first, but getting a 100% correct. 2nd Place goes to Lucy Heartfilia for getting a 95%; 3rd place goes to Levy McGarden-94%; 4th Place goes to Juvia Lockser – 92%; 5th place goes to Cana Alaberona 91%."

"Damn, so close," Cana laughed before she gave Juvia a little nudge.

"Finally, 6th place goes to Natsu Dragneel for a 71%. And tied in last with a 70% are Gajeel Redfox and Gray Fullbuster!" Makarov finished.

"Still can't fucking believe that Natsu beat me on a test," Gray sighed in defeat.

"Suck it Ice-Princess!" Natsu laughed, "I'm brains AND bronze, now!"

"It's brawn not bronze, moron," Gajeel sighed.

"You want to go Metal Mouth!?" Natsu smarted off.

Lucy and Cana both sighed before Lucy's eyes went to Laxus who was smirking at her. She smiled nervously back before Master Makarov broke her thought when he announced, "Speaking of going, will the top four contestants please approach me?"

Natsu gave Lucy a thumbs up before Lucy, Freed, Levy, and Juvia stepped forward. Makarov gave them a mischievous smile before she said, "In regards to Mavis's speech, it's not just about brains either. Each of you will draw a name from the bucket that Erza is holding. Once the name is drawn, you will know which S-Class mage you will have to fight today."

Cana began to cackle wildly behind them, but Natsu, Gajeel, and Gray were even more discouraged since they were probably the three that wanted to fight the current S-Class mages the most.

Then Makarov said, "Freed, since you were first—you get to draw first."

It took a moment for Freed to snap out of his thoughts and Lucy knew that this must be hard for the Rune Mage. The man had a 50% chance of fighting either fighting his best friend or his girlfriend. Knowing Freed, he'd rather fight Mira than Laxus. Then there was a 25% chance of fighting one of the strongest men in existence—Gildarts. Knowing Freed, he was probably working out all of the different probabilities in which he could draw Erza's name and be happy.

Everyone watched in silence as Freed walked up to Erza and put his hand in the bucket. The poor man's hand was trembling when he pulled out a scrap of paper. He slowly opened it and sighed in relief when he said aloud, "Erza."

The scarlet haired woman nodded in joy when she stated, "I look forward to it."

"Lucy, dear, you're next," Makarov smiled.

"Try and get Laxus or Gildarts!" Natsu called out from behind her.

She rolled her eyes at Natsu's antics, but then noticed a somber face on Laxus. If she didn't know better, he looked like he was getting motion sickness with the pained expression and body tension he was now caring. Then Lucy saw Erza beaming at her and she was at least thankful that she wouldn't have to fight Erza today. She didn't really enjoy the idea of going up against one of her best friends either—even though she was no longer worried about facing off one on one against the mighty Titania.

Lucy stuck her hand in the bucket and felt the dry scraps of paper touch her skin. She gave them a quick spin with her hand before she made her choice and pulled it out. She felt like everyone was holding their breath when she opened the slip of paper and saw Gildarts Clive's name scribbled on it.

The Celestial Mage looked over at the Crush Mage and gave him a wink before she held up his name for him to see. The large man let out a booming laugh before he stated, "Everyone told me you beefed up quite a bit and even took on Jura. I look forward to fighting you, Princess."

"Same," Lucy beamed at him before she snuck another peak at Laxus who looked really confused. She tried to shrug off the weird reactions she was getting from him and decided she would just ask him later. However, right now she would focus on a strategy that would feat Gildarts—she knew she had it in her thanks to Orga and her Spirits.

Then as Lucy walked back towards the other contestants, she heard Cana yell, "Dad, she's not into you! Don't call her princess—it's creepy from a man your age."

Lucy couldn't help but giggle at Gildarts's crushed spirit at Cana's harsh words; however, Lucy kept her thoughts to herself. Maybe in another timeline she would get the chance to test out the Crush Mage. After all, age is just a number.

Then Mavis spoke up, "Levy, it's your turn."

Everyone grew quiet again when Levy walked up to Erza and drew a name out. The blue haired woman barely spoke up when she said, "Mira."

Mira smiled and replied, "Even though you are one of my little sister's best friends, I can't take it easy on you."

"I wouldn't expect you to," Levy smiled at Mira.

"Oh no," Freed whispered, "This means…"

Lucy looked at Freed who was standing next to her, the poor man was as white as a ghost. Then Makarov yelled, "This means Juvia will fight Laxus!"

Lucy looked over at Laxus who was now studying Juvia. The water woman was not a fangirling, nervous mess anymore as she looked at Laxus and gave him a brisk nod. Knowing how strong Juvia could be if she really tried, and knowing how Laxus was a beast, Lucy knew without a doubt that the fight between these two would be a good one.

Makarov clapped his hands together to get everyone's attention before he said, "Now for the bottom four, each of you will fight someone else in the bottom four. Since Cana and Gajeel are on the same team, which means the options get narrowed down even more."

Everyone watched as Erza put four more scraps of paper into the bucket before Master Makarov said, "Cana will draw first. Cana, if you draw Gajeel's name, then please draw again."

Cana nodded before she walked over and stuck her hand in the bucket to draw out a name. Lucy's heart was torn. Cana was her friend and she didn't want her to get paired up with Natsu; however, she knew that Natsu would be able to take out Cana better than he would Gajeel. Natsu versus Gray wasn't an option since Cana and Gajeel couldn't battle. The battle portion of today definitely made Lucy feel jitterier than her time during the exam portion earlier. This is where everyone got to show their stuff.

"I got Natsu," Cana beamed, "Good thing I've been training against a Dragon Slayer a whole month."

Makarov nodded and announced, "This means Gajeel and Gray will go against each other and that is who we will start with. Each of you will only have ten minutes to defeat your opponent—and everyone except for Gajeel and Gray, please follow Mira to the viewing area. Gray and Gajeel, please wait until I say to begin."

Lucy ended up getting by Laxus once everyone got off to the side at Makarov's request. Every time his eye's met hers, it still sent butterflies soaring into her stomach. She gave him a dazzling smile and asked, "So how was your morning?"

"Good, probably a lot easier than yours. But it sounds like you did awesome during the exam part," Lauxs smiled, "I thought it would come down between you and Freed."

"Well it turns out, you were right," Lucy laughed as she elbowed him playfully.

Then everyone's attention turned towards the field when Makarov spoke up and said, "Now remember, you only have ten minutes!"

Gajeel and Gray stood facing each other, both ready to strike, and Cana yelled, "Go get him, Babe!"

Laxus leaned over and whispered in Lucy's ear, the effect sent goosebumps all over her body, "Tonight you will have to tell me what is up with that—Gildarts was pissed all damn day."

Lucy couldn't help but let out a giggle and replied, "Promise and I have a few questions for you too."

Laxus looked a little worried, but nodded in agreement before Makarov shouted, "BEGIN!" Then in an instant, Gray turned the field into ice in an attempt to make Gajeel lose his footing.

Lucy watched in awe at how fast the two men were. Gajeel wasn't even fazed by the ice covered field, because he had turned his feet into ice skates and soared towards the Ice-Make Mage and yelled, "Tetsuryūken!"

Gajeel's Iron Sword slashed at Gray; however, the Ice-Make Mage defended himself as he called out, "Ice-Make Shield!"

Gajeel's morphed arm became imbedded into the ice which gave Gray an opening as he yelled, "Ice-Make, Lance!"

But Lucy knew that this fight was only getting started when Gajeel grinned and transformed into Iron Shadow Dragon Slayer Mode. Gajeel's body morphed away from the shield of ice that was attached to him and the lances seemed to dance off of his body with little to no damage.

Natsu ran up next to Lucy and said, "Woah, I haven't got to see this version of Gajeel. I guess this is what happened during the games."

Lucy nodded her head and replied, "It's like how you can use Laxus's lightning still."

Natsu studied Gajeel closely because in the Shadow form, everything seemed to affect him less. Then Natsu grinned and said, "Luce, I'd love to see  _You Know Who_  go up against Gajeel—since he kept giving me a pounding."

Lucy replied with a grin, "Well if we get the chance to go up against him, I'll take him on then."

Laxus arched his brow at the encrypted message between the two teammates. It wasn't a secret that Lucy had obtained Draco's key before she left, especially since Wendy had asked to meet him. However, Happy had been left alone at the guild without Natsu and Lucy there, so god only knows what kind of stories Happy made up about Draco.

"Deal," Natsu laughed, "I want to see Gajeel get his ass kicked."

Laxus remained quiet, because he could tell Lucy had changed a lot, just like the other S-Class Mages. He had changed a lot this past month too. He no longer harbored a deep hatred for Orga. He mindlessly watched Gajeel and Gray battle as his thoughts drifted to a few nights ago…

**Few Nights Ago…**

_It was the night before he and the other S-Class Mages were going to take the rest of the guild to set-up camp and finish helping Mavis make the preparations needed for the exams. He was pacing around his house, because he would see Lucy in two days' time and yet he still struggled with how he was going to act if he had to go up against her._

_He grabbed his duffle bag that was full of everything he needed for the trip and threw it down next to his front door; however, his communication lacrima was still laying on the couch. He went over and sat down next to it and ran his fingers through his hair. He felt like shit. He was Laxus Dreyar. Why in the hell did he feel so anxious about seeing the blonde again?_

_A scowl deepened on his face as he thought back to the Battle of Fairy Tail. He had underestimated Erza in the past and he knew he would never make that mistake again—especially not after watching her slay 100 monsters and taking out most of the lacrimas he had made himself when he threated to take over the guild before he had been kicked out of the guild. He let out a heavy sigh though, because Lucy was different. She was kind and she was warm. She didn't have the same kind of past that Erza did or even Mira. He had no doubt of her new abilities, after all she did take on Jura, but there was just something in his heart that he was uncertain about and he didn't know how to fix it._

_He looked down at the communications lacrima, he really didn't want to call that wannabe Dragon Slayer to ask for advice. Even though he no longer hated Orga, he hated how the man seemed to already know Lucy better than he did. However, he knew he didn't have to make a decision right then when but he heard a knock at the door. His senses picked up that it was Bickslow, so he let out a heavy and replied, "Come in."_

_The Seith Mage came in and said, "Hey man, you all packed and ready to go?"_

" _Yeah," Laxus replied in a grim tone as he stroked his chin and stared at his coffee table—still deep in thought._

_Laxus knew that he and Bickslow had been friends long enough to know that the Seith Mage had already picked up on the fact that something was up with him. He saw in his peripherals that Bickslow plopped down on one of the seats and put his legs up on Laxus's coffee table._

" _You going to tell me what is up with you?" Bickslow asked, "All day at the guild you were off too."_

_The Dragon Slayer looked down at the ground and just admitted, "I don't know if I can fight Lucy."_

" _Why not?" Bickslow sighed._

_When Laxus didn't respond Bickslow added, "You've seen how she has grown. She completed the entire mission in Oak Town without our help, she would have defeated Jura, and she pretty much saved all of Fiore a couple of months ago on top of that mountain. Why in the fuck do you think you can't fight her?"_

_When Laxus continued to remain silent, Bickslow continued, "You already insulted her and her spirits in Oak Town. If you think you can continue to doubt her, I don't really see how you can expect her to look past all that and just date you because you are Laxus Dreyar."_

_Laxus felt a pain in his chest at Bickslow's honest words, so he finally admitted, "I have hurt so many people because of my pride and arrogance…if I hurt her too—just because she wants me to fight her…I don't think I can do it."_

_There was silence between the two before Bickslow replied in a soft tone, "Laxus, you were a different guy back then—during Fantasia. Stop bringing up the past, bud. It's time to move on."_

" _It's still in me though," Laxus confessed, "That arrogance, that power hungry jack-ass…he's still there."_

" _You know I don't like getting real, man," Bickslow nervously laughed, "But you are my best friend and I think the fact that you are worried about it and worried about hurting Lucy shows how much you've changed. I think you'll know what to do when the time comes."_

_Laxus wasn't entirely sure that Bickslow was right, so he just nodded his head and decided to let the subject go for now. He supposed he would know once he saw Lucy again._

**Present Time…**

Laxus looked down at the blonde woman next to him and realized that he still wasn't entirely sure as to what he was going to do, but at least he knew today that he didn't have to worry about it.

"TIME!" Makarov yelled.

Everyone watched as Gajeel and Gray were barely standing, both panting like crazy, when Makarov announced, "It is a tie. You both seem equally matched in wits and strength—for today at least."

The Iron Dragon Slayer and Ice-Make Mage continued to pant, before Gray replied, "That was a good fight."

"Yeah," Gajeel agreed, "Not too shabby, Pervert."

Gray snorted, "Jack-ass." Before the two went to take their places by everyone else.

"Nice work, Babe," Cana cheered before she gave Gajeel a kiss on the cheek.

"HEY! KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF MY DAUGHTER!" Gildart's yelled.

"I kissed him, Dad!" Cana smarted off.

Lucy let out a sigh at her crazy guild mates and watched as Levy congratulated Gray and handed him a bottle of water. The exams this year were definitely intense and everyone had worked so hard.

Mavis used some sort of magic to make the field look new again, it reminded Lucy of how Mr. Yamagata's training room would magically correct itself, before Makarov announced, "Natsu, Cana—please come to the field!"

"Good luck, Natsu!" Lucy cheered as she high-fived her best friend.

Natsu grinned at her before he took off towards the field. Lucy watched as Gajeel whispered something into Cana's ear that made the Card Mage blush a little. Then she heard Laxus groan.

"What is it?" Lucy asked him.

"I feel like I need to go clean my ear drums out now," Laxus replied as he nodded towards Gajeel and Cana.

Lucy's interests were peaked, because Gajeel must have said something crazy good to make Cana blush—because that rarely happened. Then she watched as Cana and Natsu faced off on the field before Makarov said, "Same rules apply—good luck to you both. Begin!"

Natsu didn't waste any time when he yelled, "Karyū no Hōkō!"

"Well, it's good to see that Natsu is still up to the same tricks," Gray laughed.

Lucy scowled at Gray before she pointed out, "Really, Gray? Ice-Make Lance? That's like your staple move!" Gray just shrugged his shoulders before he gave her a playful wink. Lucy however was still pouting a little when she turned her attention back to the match and whispered, "Come on, Natsu."

Cana quickly whipped at two cards and cast Wind's Edge against Natsu's fire. The air blast that sprung forth from the ground blew the flames that were heading towards her far away.

Lucy watched as the flames went towards the trees of the jungle, but then dissolved by some kind of spell. Laxus could tell Lucy's curiosity was peaked so he leaned down and said, "Mavis put up several spells to keep the land safe—especially from Team Natsu's destructive tendencies."

Lucy felt Laxus's bicep brush up against her side, which elicited a slight moan from her. The sound she made clearly had an effect on him too, because his large hand snaked around her and pulled her hips closer towards his body.

She let out a flustered incoherent sound and shooed the sexy man away before she pouted and said, "The flames burning the trees would have been Cana's fault, not Natsu's. And don't distract me with your sexy advances."

"Yes ma'am," Laxus chuckled as he removed his hand from her hip.

The blonde turned her attention back to her battling friends once again just as Cana unleashed Prayer's Fountain, to dampen the field from Natsu's fire, but Lucy knew that wouldn't stop her friend. Not when he went up against Aquarius's water almost every day. Instead Natsu set his body ablaze and began to evaporate the water around him. She could see that Cana was beginning to sweat from the heat and she cast multiple icicle cards that began to rain down on the Fire Dragon Slayer.

As Natsu charged towards Cana, the icicle shards melted off of him and once he was close enough, he yelled, "Karyū no Tekken!"

"GOTCH YA!" Cana yelled as she cast, "Card Dimension!"

However, Natsu grinned and before the card could capture him, it caught on fire and burnt to a crisp.

"Shit," Cana called before she dodged Natsu's attack.

"You got that trick from Shô," Natsu grinned.

"Hmph, so what," Cana smiled back before she cast a card that none of them had ever seen before. She pressed the card to the center of her chest and yelled, "Iron Dragon Slayer Transformation!"

"Gi Hi, that's my girl," Gajeel called out.

"NO SHE'S NOT!" Gildarts snapped.

Lucy laughed as Gajeel looked scared shitless, but Mira stood in-between the Iron Dragon Slayer and Gildart's before she cooed, "But Gildarts, I want black haired violet eyed babies!"

Back on the field, Natsu's eyes widened in shock as Cana's body manifested into the same as Gajeel's, when he transforms with Iron Dragon Scales, and yelled, "Tetsuryū no Hōkō!"

Natsu easily dodged the attack before he stated, "Well Cana, now that you are fighting like a Dragon Slayer, I know how to beat you—especially since you are just a lump of iron now."

Lucy smiled as Natsu formed a stance he had been practicing on. She quickly jumped up on a stone and everyone looked at her like she was crazy, but then their eyes grew wide in realization as the ground around them began to steam and grew so hot that everyone was looking for a place to stand up off of the ground directly.

Everyone watched in excitement as Cana whipped out another card, despite what the ground was doing to her feet, and imprinted the Fairy Glitter tattoo on her arm.

Lucy felt like she was holding her breath as Natsu ran towards Cana as she chanted, "Gather! O river of light that guides the fairies! Shine! In order to perish the fangs of evil! Fairy Glitter!"

The spell shattered the ground around them, Cana purposely not hitting Natsu with the powerful spell, and everyone watched as Natsu tried to keep his footing, but fell in defeat.

Lucy's heart sank a little as Master Makarov yelled, "MATCH!"

Nobody moved as they stared in amazement as Cana stood panting and the Iron Dragon spell fading off of her body.

"Cana," Gildarts whispered before he yelled with his arms raised in victory, "My baby girl defeated Natsu!"

Lucy, still in shock, heard Gray whisper, "Holy shit."

"Hm, I knew Cana had it in her," Erza smiled in delight, "But poor Natsu."

Cana's knees dropped to the ground in exhaustion and Gajeel went running over to her. Lucy looked closely and Cana's feet, which had severe burn marks on them from Natsu's spell. The blonde ran over and summoned out Virgo as Mavis began to heal the land. The Maid Spirit dove underground to retrieve Natsu who had fallen in the debris.

It didn't take long for the Spirit to find Natsu and emerged with him on the surface. Lucy could tell that Natsu looked ashamed when he looked down at the ground and said, "I'm sorry, Lucy. I'm not doing well today."

"Natsu," Lucy replied with a smile, "Don't worry about it. You fought amazingly— _You Know Who_  would have been proud at your strategy. I had to get on a rock because you were heating up everything around you, not just the battlefield!"

She saw that mentioning Draco picked up her friend's spirit quite a bit when he replied, "Yeah, it'll be ok. We still have the rest of the exams and you still get to kick Gildarts's ass today."

"True," Lucy laughed as she dismissed Virgo and helped Natsu over to where everyone else was sitting. "Don't forget, you said earlier that you had helped me a lot in the past—today, let me help you."

Natsu smiled and nodded in agreement, just as Makarov and Mavis fixed the destroyed field. Then Makarov announced, "Up next is Juvia and Laxus!"

"GOOD LUCK TO YOU BOTH!" Freed yelled out, but with his heart torn in two.

As the two headed towards the field, Mira laid out blankets for everyone to sit on so that they could all be in the shade before she handed some salve to Gajeel to tend to Cana's wounds. Once again the Take Over Mage had to fight Gildarts off because he wanted to be the one to put the burn cream on his Baby Girl's foot. However, Mira was scarier than a protective Father when she wanted the guild to start pumping out babies as soon as possible. So the grown man just stood by a tree and pouted as he watched the Iron Dragon Slayer take care of his daughter.

"This will be a quick fight," Gray sighed as everyone took a seat, "It'll probably take two seconds for Laxus to electrocute the shit out of Juvia."

"Keep your comments to yourself," Freed spat out at Gray.

Lucy and Natsu remained quiet, because they both thought Gray's comment was out of line anyways, plus very rarely did Freed lose his cool—even Mira froze at the sudden change in her boyfriend as he continued, "Just because you don't respect Juvia as a person, doesn't mean she isn't worthy of it."

Lucy could tell that Gray was very angry at Freed's backtalk when the Ice-Make Mage retorted, "Juvia is a good enough mage, but Laxus is way stronger. Besides Lightning and Water don't mix well. Laxus has the advantage."

"I have faith that she will do just fine," Freed replied with his arms crossed as he remained standing to honor his best friend and his new friend, "Do you really think I wouldn't have helped Juvia train for the possibility of her going up against Laxus?"

When Gray decided to remain silent, Lucy looked towards the field and thought that if Freed has this much faith in Juvia, then it was going to be a good fight.

Juvia stood facing Laxus and stated, "Juvia doesn't want Laxus to take it easy on her. Even if Juvia's body is made of water."

Laxus nodded in agreement at the woman's wishes, plus he was curious about the woman that Freed so vehemently defended now.

Lucy took a deep breath as Master Makarov yelled, "BEGIN!"

On the field of battle, Juvia yelled, "Water Nebula!"

Laxus easily dodge the watery attacks and sent a bolt of lightning towards Juvia; however, everyone watched in awe as Juvia sent up hundreds of bubbles of water to take Laxus's attack—instead of her own body becoming the conduit.

"Water Lock!" Juvia yelled; however, Laxus transformed his body into lightning and easily evaded the attack once again.

The Lightning Dragon Slayer then yelled, "Raging Bolt!"

Juvia's bubbles took the majority of the hits as she transformed her body into her Sierra spell and darted towards the man and landing a blow with her own heightened speed. But Laxus took the full hit and used his fist to hit Juvia inside of her transformation and sent a spark throughout her core.

Lucy winced as the Water Mage screamed in agony and darted back to a safe distance. Her body regained its shape and she stood ready to continue the battle.

Erza took a deep breath and said, "Juvia isn't going to back down so easily."

Freed shook his head in response, "She has overcome too much in her life for that one attack from Laxus to stop her."

Then Lucy felt the hairs on her arms stand on end as thunderous rolling clouds began to cover the entire island from the dual effect of both Laxus's and Juvia's magic. It was truly a fearsome sight as Laxus's body morphed into lightning and Juvia sent up dozens of water cyclones all over the field, resulting in a hurricane-like effect.

Everyone winced, Gray included, when Laxus landed another devastating blow on Juvia. However, once again the woman stood. Lucy saw that Freed was having a hard time watching but then Juvia spoke loud enough for all to hear, "Juvia will keep fighting, no matter what. Juvia doesn't let down her friends."

She watched as Laxus smiled slightly and replied, "Sounds like something a true member of the Raijinshu would say."

Juvia smiled back weakly as she summoned up the strength for another attack, "Water Slicer!"

Laxus easily evaded the attack one more time. He could end the fight at any time, but Juvia's strength was astounding. He had not been easy on any of the attacks that he landed on her—yet here she stood before him, ready to take more. However, since Juvia asked him to not take it easy on her, he would make it quick and as painless as possible as he used the storm around them to his advantage and yelled out one final attack, "Roaring Thunder!"

Lucy closed her eyes so that she didn't have to see the blow land on Juvia just before Master Makarov called, "Match! Laxus wins!"

She popped one eye open to see Freed rushing towards a collapsed Juvia; however, it was Laxus who was leaning over and picking up the water woman. The Lighting Dragon Slayer looked at her and replied, "Those were some pretty reckless moves against me."

"Juvia didn't want Laxus to hold back, even though Laxus is one of the strongest," Juvia winced, "Plus, Juvia wants to be a member of the Raijinshu."

"You can be a member of our team, as long as you promise not to be so reckless in the future," Laxus stated with a sincere heart. The Lightning Dragon Slayer knew how much the woman now meant to Freed and he had remembered all too well how alone he had once felt in Fairy Tail—and he never wanted anyone else to feel the way he once did.

"Juvia is so happy," Juvia replied as tears escaped from her eyes.

Everyone, except Gray, congratulated Juvia on an outstanding performance against Laxus and Gajeel was the one who told his old Phantom Guild mate, "I'm glad you found the right team in Fairy Tail."

Mira smiled as she held hands with Freed and said, "It seems only fitting, I think, that someone with water magic joins the Thunder God tribe."

Laxus gently laid Juvia down on a blanket next to Cana and Gajeel before Makarov said, "The next battle is between Levy and Mira!"

"Good luck, Levy," Gray stated solemnly. He felt bad for his partner who was clearly struggling with Gajeel's relationship with Cana—it had come as a shock to her…and everyone else.

Lucy could tell that Gray was still struggling with dealing with emotions. He clearly didn't know how to be supportive of Levy right now, but then she thought maybe Gray was the perfect partner for Levy right now because he wasn't pushing her to talk about her feelings like everyone else. However, she could also tell that Gray was still deep in thought about the battle between Juvia and Laxus. She hoped that someday he would let go of his closed off emotions and learn to trust people and be open with them. Otherwise he would always keep everyone at arm's distance away.

Everyone once again turned their attention to the field as a smiling Mira faced off against a scowling Levy. Before Master Makarov announced for them to begin, the smile on Mira's face faded at the obvious signs of a changed Levy. The powerful woman looked at her guild mate and said, "Levy, a scowl doesn't suit the bright personality that you have."

"Mind your own business, Mira. I'm not your kid sister," Levy replied as she readied herself for battle, "Just remember, you promised not to go easy on me."

Lucy could tell that Levy's harsh words hurt Mira to her core and Gajeel whispered to Cana, "Is it because of us?"

Cana nodded and whispered, "I'll tell you what happened later."

"BEGIN!" Master Makarov yelled to start the battle.

"SOLID SCRIPT, STORM!" Levy yelled. Mavis and Makarov had only fixed the field around them, and did not clear the sky up after Laxus's and Juvia's fight—so Levy used the lingering clouds to her advantage. A monstrous rain storm began to cover the field, soaking just the battlefield that the two woman fought upon.

Mira changed into her Satan Soul take-over, still with a sadness upon her face, and waited for Levy's next attack. Then Levy multi-casted, "Solid script, water, hail, and lightning!"

It was obvious that training with Gray made Levy a lot tougher physically as the bluenette charged towards Mira and yelled, "Solid Script, Thunder!"

Mira dodged the storm-like magical attacks that began to rain down upon her. While she wanted to go all out against Levy, Mira just couldn't find it in her heart to do so. It reminded her of when she had to fight Freed during Fantasia, all Mira could feel was pain and turmoil radiating off of Levy.

"Solid Script, Cage!" Levy called out as she mimicked one of Gray's attacks and trapped a distracted Mira. "Solid Script, electricity!" Levy summoned on the cage, electrocuting Mira in the process.

"Mira!" Freed called out on the sides as his girlfriend screamed in pain.

However, the shock to her nervous system was enough to wake Mira out of her trance as she busted out of the cage and went straight for Levy and knocked the blue haired woman on the ground. Everyone winced as they heard a crack and Levy cried out in pain.

"That sounded like a rib," Erza stated bleakly.

Cana and Gajeel both looked worried as Levy tried to stand and said, "Solid Script, Pain!"

However, the spell had no effect on Mira as the demon woman walked closer to Levy.

"It didn't work?" Levy asked herself before she sent out another attack that Mira easily dodged.

"Fight me!" Levy cried out in agony as she held onto her side.

Everyone held their breath as Mira stalked towards Levy and stood towering over her. Levy tried to punch Mira in the face; however, the S-Class Mage cauaght Levy's mist in mid-air and stated in a firm tone, "Enough."

"Stop it!" Levy cried as she began to break down and tried to free her hand.

"It's ok," Mira replied, "It's ok to be upset."

Levy began to cry before she stated to Mira, "You are making me look like a fool."

"This hatred doesn't suit you, Levy," Mira replied in her Satan Soul voice, "I will only fight you when you are yourself."

"I just need time. I'm hurt," Levy finally admitted, "I need to focus on the S-Class exams and I can't because of them!"

Lucy looked over at Cana and Gajeel, who both looked hurt. They didn't want to hurt Levy like this at all.

Then Mira understood and stood back and said, "Fine. Take all of your anger out on me right now, but after this fight—you have to let your anger for them go. You know both Gajeel and Cana, you know they would never purposely hurt you. So take your anger out on me now, instead of on them."

Levy looked at Mira as the rain poured down around them and nodded in understanding. Lucy watched in sadness as Mira stood in the middle of the field and took every attack that Levy threw at her. Nobody felt like cheering, because this wasn't a fight like the others. This was different. Mira did see Levy like a sister, and allowed that sister to throw the biggest tantrum that she could so that she could start to heal.

"Time, it's a tie," Master Makarov finally called out in sadness as well. He hated seeing his children in pain.

Levy was panting against an undamaged Mira who had transformed back into her beautiful self. "Mira, I'm so sorry," Levy cried as she ran into the arms on the white haired woman.

"Sshhh, it's ok Levy," Mira soothed, "When we all get back home, how about you come have a sleepover with me and Lisanna? We can make brownies, cookies, and pizza like we used to."

"I'd like that a lot," Levy cried as she held onto Mira.

Then Mira helped Levy off the field so that she could help Levy with her broken rip. Everyone remained quiet as the two woman left the field together and as Makarov and Mavis quietly cleaned up the field. Natsu nudged her and stated, "Looks like you are up next."

Lucy nodded silently, she just felt different now after watching Levy's and Mira's fight. She knew she had to shake the feeling off because she was about to go up against the Ace of Fairy Tail. She honestly just wanted the day to be over now. The moment she drew Gildarts's name out, she had already thought about how she was going to beat him. She looked over at Cana and knew she only had a few seconds before she said, "Hey Cana, can I talk to you super-fast?!

* * *

A few minutes later, once Mavis and Makarov had finished their preparations, Gajeel carried out a cackling Cana from the jungle as a smiling Lucy exited behind them. Gajeel just shook his head since he had heard Lucy whisper her strategy to Cana. It was pretty clever.

"Next up is Lucy and Gildarts!" Master Makarov called.

"Go get him, Luce!" Natsu yelled out, "Redeem my honor!"

Lucy just laughed at her friend and waved out to him as she walked next to Gildarts on the field. Makarov met them out there with a smile and said, "You two, try not to destroy the whole island, please?"

Gildarts chuckled as they watched Makarov walk towards everyone else. The older mage looked at her and said, "Cana does nothing but brag about you. It seems you saved everyone in Magnolia recently?"

Lucy smiled and gave a playful shrug to her shoulders when they heard Makarov call from a safe distance, "Begin!"

However, Lucy made no moves and neither did Gildarts. The Crush Mage stood before her and said, "I usually don't fight any of the S-Class contestants at all. Chances of them beating me are slim to none. Instead I try to get each mage to recognize what it truly means to be afraid. Afraid of what you can lose and afraid of what you can become."

Lucy contemplated what the man said before she replied, "Gildarts, I have lost a lot in my life—including both of my parents, my home, and at one point earlier this summer—my friends."

"What do you mean you lost your friends?" Gildarts asked with an arch to his brow.

"After the games, everyone was off doing requests and I was left alone. My team was gone and every day I tried to make the best out of it, but in reality—I was depressed," Lucy admitted, knowing that everyone on the side would be able to hear her, "To the world I was nothing more than a pretty face that Natsu always had to save. I was seen as weak. It was horrible and made me feel just as alone as I used to in my Father's house as he groomed me for the perfect suitor."

"Then what changed?" Gildarts asked in a serious tone.

"Me," Lucy admitted with pride, "I am still the same at my core, but I knew I had to grow. I had to be strong for me and I had to be strong to save everyone I cared about. This time, it was my turn to save Fairy Tail and to save Natsu. So that is what I did on Samui Yama—I grew. I know that there will always be something I have to overcome, but I know now that I have the strength to face anything that is thrown at me because there is nothing worse than what I had already faced on that mountain. I also learned that it is ok to rely on another person at times when you are feeling weak and that is what I learned with Orga from Sabertooth." Then she took a deep breath and grinned even wider before she held out her keys and stated, "So come at me, Gildarts."

The older mage grinned at her and replied, "So be it."

Laxus stood in silence at Lucy's speech and watched in awe as Gildarts's raised his arm in the air. But Lucy was faster as she summoned out Aries and cast the most enormous Wool Wall—covering the entire field.

Gildart's eyes grew wide as Lucy disappeared with a smile. The Crush Mage chuckled to himself as he tried to cast, All Crush; however, before he could release his spell, soft pink wool wrapped around his arm and held it in place. He looked at in confusion just as the softness of the wool began to take effect over the Crush Mage. Everything felt so soft and good. Like waking up in the morning with cool, clean sheets and the sun just barely shining in with birds chirping outside.

Then a beautiful woman with pink hair and horns appeared before him and said softly, "Sumimasen, my wool is too soft."

"Oh um—it's um…all right," Gildarts sputtered out at the beautiful woman. She was a cutie and Gildarts thought that he wouldn't be a real man if he could be angry at the timid thing before him.

Then to his surprise another woman's hand, who was softer than silk, reached out and touched his bare arm, "You must be Gildarts Clive. We haven't had the chance to meet yet."

"Uhhhh, no…we haven't," Gildarts blinked and responded in shock as his mind grew blurrier.

"My name is Andromeda," the woman smiled at him, her hand remaining on him, "The rumors are true, you are incredibly strong. Most men would have collapsed by now."

"Collapsed?" Gildarts asked, then he realized he was under some sort of spell from the woman.

She hopped back away from him and next to the woman with horns, just before the brunette he loved so much came out of the wool clouds. "DAD! Have you no shame!? Why are you always hitting on every woman you see?!" Cana yelled at him.

"It wasn't my fault!" Gildarts argued, his defenses going down, as Cana stormed up to him, "They were just here!"

Then a large grin spread across Cana's face and her eyes turned solid black. Gildarts stepped back in shock as all of the woman looked at him with faint smiles. Then Lucy emerged from the clouds and gave him a wink just before he felt an incredible pain on the backside of his head and everything went black.

Lucy watched as the Crush Mage fell to the ground in confusion before she yelled, "YAY!"

"Lucy-san's nice body strikes again!" Taurus yelled in satisfaction, because he was the one who dealt the blow to Gildarts's head. However, there was no way in hell that Taurus alone could have done that without the immense power that Andromeda had used against him—plus Aries's soft clouds of happiness.

The beautiful spirit looked at Lucy and replied, "That was hard. He took almost everything I had."

"You did amazing! You all did amazing!" Lucy replied as she hugged Andromeda before she hugged Aries and Taurus too. The bull spirit nearly passed out as Lucy's breasts pressed up against him and she didn't even care because she was so happy at beating Gildarts. Then Gemini transformed back into their usual form and Lucy hugged and kissed each of them.

Then she quickly cleared the clouds away from the field so that everyone could see that she won. Once she could see the group, her smile grew when she saw that Natsu and Cana were rolling on the ground in laughter. Lucy grabbed hands with her spirits and they all bowed before everyone. Granted it wasn't much of a fight-fight as it was pure strategy, but Lucy still had a blast.

"That's what my Dad gets for being such a womanizer!" Cana cracked up as Gildarts came to.

"Lucy wins!" Makarov laughed.

Lucy turned around and reached out her hand to help Gildarts up. The man rubbed the back of his head and laughed as Lucy's spirits disappeared back into the Celestial Realm. After she helped him up, he stated, "Well, not many people can get the better of me. You clearly are a very bright and powerful mage. How exactly were you able to copy my daughter so accurately?"

"My spirit, Gemini, can copy almost anyone perfectly—even their thoughts," Lucy replied.

"Anyone?" Gildarts asked a little nervously.

"They have to be equal or lesser in strength than me. The more powerful they are, the harder it is to hold them for an extended period of time," Lucy stated, "So you don't have to worry about me copying you and sharing any secrets."

Gildarts sweatdropped at the comment before he patted Lucy's shoulder and stated with a laugh, "Good job, Princes. I can see why Laxus is so fond of you."

Lucy's face turned bright red at the comment before she replied, "Thanks, Gildarts."

Makarov smiled at them as the exited the field and said, "Good job, Lucy. It's nice not having to fix the field again."

"You're welcome, Lucy laughed.

Natsu was still cheering for her as she went back to take a seat next to her best friend. She began to fidget nervously when Gildarts nudged Laxus and said, "That's one handful of a woman you have set your eyes on. Although, I'd love to see her whomp your ass too."

When Laxus remained stoic, Lucy couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. He didn't even seem to be proud of her, but her moment of agitation quickly went away when Natsu pointed out to her how awesome she did.

* * *

Finally, the last battle of the day was about to commence, with the dying of the light of the day when Makarov announced, "And finally, Freed versus Erza."

Lucy could tell everyone was exhausted, but Freed and Erza both took to the field, clearly ready for battle. Lucy was starting to get extremely hungry and hoped that Freed's and Erza's battle was a quick one, but knowing them—it would last the full ten minutes.

Everyone sat in silence and watched as the Rune Mage began his battle against the mighty Titania. Erza was revered and feared by many mages throughout Fiore and it was obvious why. Everyone could tell that she had not wasted the month either, she had clearly been training herself. However, Freed was clearly not the man he once was. He had sent up dozens upon dozens of runes and if Erza made the wrong move, she would instantly become trapped. The battle was so intense that whichever person made the first mistake, would instantly lose.

There was one minute left to go when Erza changed into her Flight Armor and dashed towards Freed. However, the Rune Mage parried her attack with his sword and then sent up a final Rune that entrapped both him and Erza in it.

"You trapped us both?" Erza asked in confusion just before she tried to land another blow.

"Sort of," Freed replied with a smile, "But it was actually a double rune—just for me," then he stepped out of them—thus trapping just Erza.

"Match! Freed wins!" Makarov called just seconds before the ten minute mark was up.

"YAY!" Juvia and Mira yelled in unison.

"Holy crap! Erza was defeated!" Natsu blinked in awe at Freed who was panting and dissolving his runes.

However, Erza wasn't fazed at all when she locked forearms with Freed and stated, "Well done."

"Thank you, Erza," Freed replied with a smile before he gave her an honorable bow.

Everyone was jittery and excited to hear what was next when Master Makarov called everyone around and stated, "That concludes the exams for today. Mira will escort you to where you all will be camping for the night. Please relax and enjoy this time together as friends. It is clear that you have all grown in many ways today and in this past month. However, tomorrow at 8 a.m. will start day 2 of the exams."

"Master," Gray spoke up, "Are there placements for how we finished?"

The old master stroked his chin before he announced, "Hmmm, I suppose so." Then he looked up at the sky and said, "I guess I'll give Gajeel and Cana 5 banana points, Juvia and Freed 5 strawberry points, Lucy and Natsu 5 peach points, and Levy and Gray 5 dragon fruit points."

Everyone sweatdropped at the weird points system and Lucy muttered to Cana, "What kind of rankings are those?"

"I think he's already drunk," Cana replied.

Then Master Makarov pointed at the girls and yelled, "You are correct, 1 more coconut point for each of your teams."

"Ehhhhhh…" Lucy and Cana both said.

"Now goodnight!" Makarov waved as he, Mavis, and Gildarts all headed in one direction towards where the rest of Fairy Tail was camping.

"Everyone, please follow me!" Mira smiled with a wave.

Together the S-Class participants followed Mira, Laxus, and Erza into the jungle. The sun was already setting so Mira pulled out some lacrima lanterns that were in a pack that Laxus was carrying. Nobody spoke as they walked through the jungle in silence because everyone was so tired.

* * *

It wasn't long until they reached a small clearing with tents already set up, folding chairs, tables, coolers, and a grill. There was a fire already going with a large pot of stew simmering over it. Lucy giggled when hers and Natsu's stomachs both growled and everyone was impressed that Natsu didn't dart straight for the food. Instead he stood patiently by his teammate.

Mira smiled and said, "To the right is a small hot spring for the girls and to the left is one for the boys. Please go get cleaned up while Erza, Laxus, and I finish prepping the meal that Kinana and Lisanna had started for us."

Everyone must have been just as hungry as Natsu and Lucy, because nobody argued as they all took off after grabbing some fresh clothes that had already been taken there for them. However, Cana wined a little because her feet were still hurting, so Lucy summoned out Virgo to help Cana and Juvia helped Levy who was now all bandaged up because of her ribs.

As the girls got to their hot spring and stripped down, they saw that soaps and towels were already laid out for them and Lucy turned to Cana and said, "The spring my hurt your feet."

"Yeah, but I really need to get them clean," the Card Mage admitted.

Lucy sent Virgo back, after she thanked her, as she helped lower Cana into the water. The Card Mage winced at the heat of the water and said with tears in her eyes, "Shit that hurts."

"Hmmm," Lucy thought out loud, "What if I take you over there so that you can prop your feet up out of the water? Then maybe when we get back to the campsite, we can get you some cool water to clean your feet with?"

"Sounds good," Cana winced.

Lucy nodded and took a pained Cana over to the rocks and then all the girls settled in to relax in the spring for a bit. Lucy leaned back to look up at the emerging stars and sighed out, "Man, today was a long day."

All the girls nodded in agreement before Lucy looked over at Levy who was sitting quietly. The bluenette must have felt her gaze as she looked over and gave her a weak smile. Nothing else was said as the girls all bathed in silence and allowed the soothing waters of Tenroujima ease their weary muscles and minds.

* * *

After they all got out, dried off, and changed, Virgo helped Cana back to the camp and Juvia assisted Levy. They were all hungry and tired. It wasn't surprising that every single male was already back in the camp and eating when all of the girls got there.

Gajeel took Cana off of Virgo's hands and Gray put some ice in a bucket for the Card Mage to rest her feet in after Mira put some ointment that Wendy had made back on Cana's feet. The Takeover Mage assured Cana that her feet would be as good as new in the morning. Then Mira handed Levy a pill that Wendy had also made that would help with her ribs. Everyone found out that Master didn't want Wendy healing the participants entirely, because it was an examination and endurance was a part of it. However, they would still help with small things so that no one got hurt too bad.

Lucy grabbed a bowl of stew and bread from Erza, who was wearing an apron and a chef's hat, and took a seat next to Laxus who was staring at the fire next to Freed. It seemed weird to Lucy how quiet everyone was until Cana said, "I don't know about you guys, but I could use a drink."

That broke the silence as everyone began to laugh and Lucy chimed in, "I'll have one if you are pouring."

Laxus looked at her nervously and she just patted his arm and stated, "Don't worry, I've been training over this too."

"I don't know if that is a good thing or a bad thing," Laxus chuckled, "The last time you drank didn't end well at all."

"It's bad," Natsu added in, "She can be so mean now and not horny at all."

"What? That doesn't sound like Drunk Lucy," Gray stated.

Natsu just shook his head and Lucy just laughed towards Gray, "He's just mad because I kicked his ass this month when I was completely drunk and he was sober."

Gray couldn't help but laugh as he took a drink that was offered to him from Cana.

* * *

Everyone was becoming a little more relaxed with the touch of alcohol on their lips. Then Erza said to Lucy, "Training to drink is an odd thing to practice for the S-Class exams."

Lucy smiled as Laxus handed her a second cup of cold sake before she replied, "You never know what is going to happen in this guild, so Natsu and I practiced something weird every day."

"Like what?" Levy asked curiously.

Everyone was glad to see Levy conversing again when Natsu spoke up, "Well Lucy drank a few times a week, we also practiced like that couple game show where you answer questions about each other, we practiced a song and dance, we practiced…"

However, Natsu was cut off when Mira squealed and asked, "A SONG AND DANCE?!"

Gray choked on his stew when Natsu just nodded his head. Then Erza demanded as she pointed at Lucy and Natsu, "I demand to see it."

Everyone had agreed to more drinks to take the edge off and Natsu just shrugged his shoulders and said, "But there is no music."

"Solved!" Mira replied as she held up a portable lacrima player, "What song?!"

"I don't know," Lucy replied before Laxus poured her a third glass—she was never good at pacing cold sake.

"Oh yes you will," Cana stated and practically jumped over the fire and forced the third shot of sake down Lucy's throat.

"What the hell?!" Laxus barked out, "What about your feet?"

"They are fine now," Cana laughed as Lucy coughed up the alcohol that went down the wrong tube.

"What the hell!?" Lucy asked Cana—mimicking Laxus.

"We will all do one—each team," Cana smiled as she held up more booze.

Freed and Juvia both shook their heads vehemently no, but then Erza shouted, "The exams are not over! I demand to see Lucy and Natsu sing and dance!"

Lucy let out a heavy sigh and before things got carried away, she agreed. Natsu grinned at her, because he had oddly enjoyed the weird training that Lyra and Capricorn insisted that they do this past month. Natsu looked at Mira and said, "Play 'We Belong' by Pat Benatar."

"Oh Jesus," Gray groaned as Natsu and Lucy turned their backs to everyone and Natsu grabbed a stick a as a microphone.

Lucy was starting to feel the effects of the alcohol, along with everyone else, and began to giggle when the music began to play and then Natsu turned around and began to sing:

_Many times I tried to tell you; Many times I cried alone;_

After Natsu finished the first chorus, Lucy spun around to see everyone's shocked faces and joined in with her teammate, because she didn't want to leave him hanging as they joined hands and sang out loudly—and off key because of the alcohol:

_We belong to the light, we belong to the thunder! We belong to the sound of the words we've both fallen under!_

Cana's laughter was nearly drowning them out when Lucy and Natsu belted out, " _We belong, we belong, we belong together!"_

Gray, Gajeel, and even Freed were all dying laughing as Natsu and Lucy danced around and mimicked each other's actions as they continued singing.

Lucy vaguely registered that Natsu was stroking Erza's cheek on the verse with:  _Close your eyes and try to sleep now._

Even Juvia wiped away a tear from laughter and said, "Natsu and Lucy even have matching choreography."

Then on the intense drum beat of the song, Natsu spun around in front of Juvia and moved his butt to the beat of the music—just making the Water Mage laugh and flush from embarrassment even harder.

On the final verse, Lucy and Natsu joined hands, looked into each other's eyes and finished the song in one of the most epic karaoke battles Fairy Tail had yet seen. Then as the music faded, they bowed their heads in finale.

Once the song had finished, Natsu and Lucy high fived each other and everyone cheered and laughed for them. It was one of the most bizarre musicals any of them had ever witnessed but then Erza said as she wiped a tear away, "Natsu and Lucy do belong together as teammates. That was so beautiful."

"Who's next?!" Mira asked excitedly, "Freed and Juvia, you two should go!"

Freed's face was a little flushed from the alcohol when he hiccupped and said, "We hadn't prepared anything."

Lucy noticed that Laxus was no longer sitting, instead he was near the edge of the camp and motioned for her to follow him with his head. Since everyone was seeing how they could top Lucy's and Natsu's performance, because Gajeel had actually volunteered him and Cana next as he unpacked his guitar, Lucy took the opportunity to sneak off with Laxus.

He gave her a sexy wink before he took her tiny hand into his strong one and led her into the jungle.

* * *

The sounds of the camp had finally faded away as Lucy and Laxus walked hand in hand in the darkness. She breathed in his intoxicating scent and asked, "So where are we going?"

"You'll see," he replied in a husky tone next to her ear.

Lucy had to squeeze her thighs together to relieve the tension that was building in her womanhood just before her eyes widened and she gasped in surprise. Before her was a beautiful, secluded beach with the calming sounds of the water gently hitting the shores edge and thousands upon thousands of stars in the night sky.

"Laxus," Lucy whispered, "This is beautiful."

"I thought you might like this view," Laxus replied with a gentle squeeze to her hand before he pointed over to an area that already had a blanket laid out.

She knew she had a stupid smile on her face as he led her over to the blanket and said, "We've been apart for a month and I thought it'd be a good way to catch up and to let you know about the mission I went on with Orga."

"It is nice, getting away from everything for a minute," Lucy admitted as she took a seat next to him. Together they soaked in the view for a minute, just enjoying each other's company, before Lucy asked, "So tell me about this mission. Is Orga ok?"

Lucy sat in silence for several minutes and listened as Laxus admitted everything to her about his mission with the Sabertooth Mage. He even told her about the threats against Sabertooth and her.

After Laxus had finished, Lucy didn't know what to say. He could tell that she was struggling with everything so he put his hand on hers and said, "I'm sorry if this is a lot to take in during the exams, but I thought you should know and I didn't want you to think I was keeping anything from you."

Her brown eyes met his gray ones when she smiled and replied, "Thank you, I do appreciate that. So Orga is ok and Sabertooth? What about Eve?"

Laxus nodded and said, "Orga is safe—along with everyone else in Sabertooth. Also, Macao has been put in charge of staying in touch with the other guilds throughout the day and he was supposed to send up a flare if there was any danger, with them on the island or if we all needed to head back and help Sabertooth. No matter what, we won't let Jiemma or Minerva win. Your decision is yours to make, and yours alone."

She took a deep breath in before she asked, "So you guys are friends now? You and Orga?"

Laxus just shrugged and replied, "Kind of. He took a pretty intense blow for me."

She thought about Laxus's statement deeply before she replied, "I am glad you both are safe."

He nodded and admitted, "No matter what happens, Lucy—I want you to be happy."

Lucy just nodded before she captivated Laxus's lips with her own. Laxus didn't hesitate when his body flipped Lucy onto her back and nestled himself between her legs. She accepted the closeness as she ran her fingers through his messy hair and pulled his lips closer to hers. She knew it was probably the alcohol that let her feel so free as she exposed her neck to him so he could trail passionate kisses down her throat. She gulped when she felt his growing member pressing against her drenched panties and she moaned, "Laxus, we should slow down."

She smiled at his respectfulness when he agreed and gave her a kiss on the cheek before he rolled over with a pained grunt. The two began to laugh a little when she admitted, "I did miss you and thank you for being honest with me."

"Anytime Blondie," Laxus smiled as he stretched out his arm so Lucy could use it as a pillow.

As they sat in silence a few minutes, Laxus asked, "So are you ready for the next two days?"

"I think so," Lucy smiled, "I did pretty well today, since I defeated Gildarts and came in second during the test."

When an awkward silence fell over the two of them, Lucy remembered that she wanted to ask Laxus about why he looked so troubled when she drew Gildarts's name. "Hey Laxus, earlier today—you looked uncomfortable when I drew Gildarts's name. Do you want to talk about it? Was something wrong?"

She remained silent as the pause continued between the two. She knew she had to be patient, but it was really bugging her that he had not responded.

Finally Laxus just replied with, "We can talk about it later."

She didn't want to talk about it later, she wanted to talk about it now, but then Laxus changed the subject and asked, "Have you made up your mind yet? About me and Orga?"

He was almost afraid to hear the answer when she admitted, "No."

The silence lingered over them once more as Lucy looked up at the stars and realized that a few days is all she had left if she was going to keep her promise to both men.

* * *

**Natsu's and Lucy's song choice is: "We Belong" by Pat Benatar. I could just see those two goobers singing it together, because they do belong together (AS FRIENDS)! xD**


	64. Chapter 64

Lucy and Laxus didn't stay at the beach much longer after that. The fact that Lucy still hadn't made a decision seemed to have killed the mood pretty fast. Plus add in the fact that Laxus once again didn't want to open up to her about something that was clearly bothering him—it just added on top of the tension that she felt was growing between them and she didn't know how to fix it.

She didn't feel like the fact that she hadn't made a choice yet was too big a deal. Of course she had thought about it a little the past month, but in all honesty—she really wanted to be an S-Class Mage. She wanted to prove not only to herself, but to everyone who had ever underestimated her that she was just as powerful as the other members of Fairy Tail. She didn't want to be one of those girls that had to rely on her boyfriend or be super clingy—it's partially why she ran away from home all of those years ago. She wanted to be free and if she was going to be with someone, then she wanted to be with someone who treated her like an equal. So training this past month, to her, took priority over sitting around thinking about boys every night.

Once Lucy made it back to the campsite, Laxus bid her a goodnight because the established S-Class Mages were staying on the beach with the rest of the members of Fairy Tail, she walked into the clearing and saw that most of the teams were breaking off into their tents. She didn't miss it either when Gajeel carried Cana out into the woods, bridal style, as the brunette whispered god only knows what into the Dragon Slayer's ear.

She let out a heavy sigh and made her way to hers and Natsu's tent. The Fire Dragon Slayer was already laying on his back with his eyes closed and his arms behind his head. She figured he wasn't sleeping yet, since he wasn't snoring, but she hoped she wasn't being too loud when she grabbed a bottle of water from her pack and climbed into her sleeping bag.

As she laid there staring up at the ceiling of their tent, her thoughts were interrupted when Natsu asked, "Did you sneak off with Laxus?"

"Yeah," Lucy let out a heavy sigh before she took a sip of water.

There were a few more moments of silence before Natsu stated, "You don't sound happy."

She had no idea why that simple sentence triggered her the way it did, but the blonde leaned up and began to vent about everything that had been upsetting her for months. She told Natsu about Orga's and Laxus's fight at the train station when she first went on a mission with Orga; how Laxus acted when she and Orga came down from the mountain; how Laxus insulted Pyxis; how Laxus brought up Minerva to her first instead of Orga telling her; how Laxus had acted when she got Canes Venatici, Aquila, and Lynx; Laxus's and Orga's fight at the Fall Festival in front of the Yamagata brothers' room; how Laxus had been the one that nominated her for the S-Class trials but he still acted like he wouldn't be able to fight her; about her nice date with Laxus and Asuka; and then how he acted today and tonight with his cold and distant moodiness.

Natsu remained quiet while his partner went on a twenty minute rant and once she was finally finished, she flopped back down and took another drink of water. The Fire Dragon Slayer peaked over at his best friend who he could tell was clearly troubled. He didn't say anything at first because he thought about all of the things that Lucy brought up and how it made her feel. He knew how important Lucy's spirits were to her and to him it was the equivalent of someone insulting Happy. He had no idea that Laxus made Lucy feel this way or had hurt Pyxis's feelings. He wanted Laxus and Lucy to date because Laxus was nakama, but Lucy didn't seem happy. She seemed…

"Hey Luce," Natsu finally spoke up tentatively as he thought about his words carefully, "Do you feel like Laxus sees you as an equal?"

"No," Lucy admitted with a tear escaping one of her eyes, "He just—we could be so perfect together, but it's like there is still something there blocking things and I don't know how to fix it or remove that block." The whole situation just made her heart hurt so much that she wanted to throw up. She remembered all of the fun they had together, like him admitting to her about Laki and the wooden anal beads—plus how he teased her about being her husband and that he'd be a shitty one if he didn't make sure she was happy. Why weren't things clicking between them like that most of the time? It's like they were two pieces of a puzzle that almost fit together, but just weren't. Sure everyone had disagreements, it just seemed like they kept having the same disagreements over and over again and it was making her crazy.

Natsu could hear and smell that Lucy was trying to hold back tears before he whispered, "Luce, I know you—I know if there was a way to fix it then you would have and I also know you give people lots of chances. Just don't feel bad about any of it."

When the blonde remained quiet he added, "It will be ok if you don't date Laxus. I know you do like him, but don't let anyone make you feel like you're not on the most destructive team in all Fiore. It means you are a badass. You were about to kick Jura's ass and you beat Gildarts's ass today—most people would say that you are now the strongest in Fiore."

Natsu's encouragement gave Lucy a smile, especially after he said, "God it makes me want to go fight you right now just to see if I can win!"

She couldn't help but let out a giggle before replied, "Thanks Natsu for cheering me up."

"Anytime," Natsu yawned, "It's why we are best friends."

She felt sleep finally start to reach her and she could hear that Natsu's breathing had started to change too before Lucy whispered, "Hey Natsu…"

"Hm?" Natsu groaned a little.

"Someday when you have girl problems, you can always talk to me about it," Lucy yawned before she closed her eyes.

Natsu let out an amused snort before he replied, "Thanks Luce."

Then the two best friends let sleep take them before day two of the S-Class Trials began.

* * *

"Natsu! Lucy! It's breakfast time!" Erza stated as she barged into their tent.

Natsu didn't need to be told twice as he shot out of bed and ran past Erza to grab some breakfast. Lucy however was not a morning person when she groaned in response to Erza's cheeriness. She allowed her body to adjust as she stretched her legs out and her arms as far as they would go in the opposite direction. Erza let her know that there was plenty of fruit, oatmeal, and juice and that Master would have the first trial for them today within the hour before the scarlet haired mage moved onto Levy's and Gray's tent.

The tent flap hadn't been closed all the way and when the light shone in, it bounced off of the lacrima that hung around Lucy's neck. She looked down at the present that Orga had given her before she reached up to it and put her hand around it. Her heart leapt at the idea that she would get to see him soon. She had missed him so much and she couldn't wait to tell him everything she had learned or how she had grown. Plus, she really wanted to hear his side of the mission with Laxus and the possible threat against Sabertooth. She knew him and knew that he was probably worried that if she decided she wanted to be with him then Minerva would come after her; however, no matter what—Lucy wouldn't leave his side whether as a friend or lover.

As she laid in her sleeping bag, she allowed herself to daydream about being his girlfriend. Working in different guilds wouldn't be a big deal if they were just dating. It's not like they had to see each other every day and they could easily meet up on the weekends. He could teleport to Magnolia to see her and she could fly on Draco and be near Crocus within an hour.

A smile spread across her face as she thought about how if she could go back and tell him that she was now an S-Class mage—he would be so proud of her. Then with the thought of Orga still in her mind, and with a goofy grin on her face, she decided to kick the sleeping bag off of her and join her guild mates for some breakfast.

* * *

After everyone had finished breakfast, brushed their teeth, and changed their clothes, everyone waited for Master Makarov to show up with the first challenge. As they were waiting, Natsu nudged her with his elbow. When she glanced over at him his eyes pointed up to the sky and he gave a nod with his head. In the distance, Lucy could see several dark rain clouds heading their way and she knew that there would be a downpour within the next hour or two.

She whispered to him, "Do you have a rain coat?"

He nodded his head and pointed to his pack, "Virgo put one in last night. She's really awesome."

"Yes she is," Lucy agreed in relief.

As everyone waited, she noticed that a weird tension was in the air. Mira and Erza were cleaning up, away from everyone else, but she noticed that Gajeel and Cana were standing off by themselves whispering about something, Gray and Levy looked like a brooding pair of twins, and Freed and Juvia both looked deep in thought about something. Lucy had thought that everyone had a fun time last night, did something happen while she was away with Laxus?

She looked over at Natsu who was leaning next to her, against a rock, with his eyes closed. She leaned over and whispered in his ear, "Did I miss something last night? Why is everyone acting so weird?"

Natsu popped one eye open and looked around before he said, "Levy accidently ran into Gajeel and Cana humping each other in the woods last night, Gray is struggling with Juvia no longer being interested in him, and Freed always looks like that."

Lucy's mouth fell open before she asked, "What do you mean Levy accidently ran into Gajeel and Cana having sex?"

Natsu shrugged his shoulders before he said, "That's just what I heard just now between Cana and Gajeel."

She looked around at everyone and realized how divided everyone was, before she admitted, "I feel like we are all falling away from each other."

Natsu gave her another nudge before he replied, "We will get through it. If there is one thing I learned this past month with you and it's that everyone has to learn and grow. We can't stay the same if we want to stay the number one guild or protect our nakama."

Lucy looked over at her best friend and nudged him back before she asked, "I feel like I blinked and you suddenly matured!"

"Nah, I'm still an immature weirdo!" Natsu laughed, "But I think being back on this island has given me a different perspective—just thinking about how we all almost died the last time. I think if everyone else thought about it too, they wouldn't be acting like this."

She had to agree with him and it made her wish their other friends would snap out of what is keeping them closed off form each other, but time would just have to heal certain things. Instead she linked her arm through Natsu's and rested her head on his shoulder. It was true that he was still the same goofball that she had first met, but she was glad that with Draco's assistance and guidance, Natsu was able grow and mature a little. He was like the brother she had never had and she was so thankful to have him in her life. She looked forward to going on a regular mission with him and Happy again after the exams. However, now she would have to whip that foulmouthed cat into shape the way she did Natsu. No more fat jokes from that cat's mouth or he wouldn't see any fish for a year.

* * *

It wasn't much longer when Master Makarov, Laxus, and Gildarts emerged from the jungle and Master Makarov cleared his throat and said, "Listen up, brats! We have two challenges again today and we will begin with the first one now."

Master Makarov nodded his head to Laxus who pulled out several pieces of paper and began to hand them out. Lucy reached for hers, her fingers slightly grazed against Laxus's, and her body couldn't help but shudder at the spark between them. However, she refused to look at him after how things had ended between them last night and she could tell that his eyes barely left her.

Once everyone had their papers, Makarov added, "Each of you has a map to a separate part of the island. Your task is to find that spot on our own within the next two hours. Once you are there, you will notice a flare gun—please set it off so that we know you have reached your destination. After you have done that, your task is simple—yet for many people it is a very hard task."

Everyone looked at each other in confusion before Master Makarov stated, "Your task upon arrival is to mediate in solitude for one hour. No practicing, no reading, no eating, no sleeping, just mediating and reflecting upon yourself and your actions. This island is a very sacred place for Fairy Tail members and you all should know that more than anyone since the last time we were all here, we were attacked—not just because of who we are, but because of what we believe in. It is times like those that we must become more than what we are. Our guild is filled with a bunch of hot-headed bakas."

At the sudden admittance as to their true nature, several of the guild members cracked a smile at their Master's words before the elderly man continued, "By meditating, we get to the heart of the matter and when we know ourselves and no one can take that away from us or harm us."

Then on that somber note, Master pointed at Mira and said, "Mira has packed a lunch for each of you that you can have once your mediation hour is up. I expect everyone to be back here by 1 p.m. sharp."

Natsu and Lucy looked at each other as they put on their backpacks and received their lunch from Mira, who wished them both the best of luck. Makarov wasn't kidding as every person went into a completely different direction in the campsite and Natsu waved at her for good luck before she readied her map and began her trek to what appeared to be a cave on a hill.

* * *

Once she was far enough away, she summoned out both Aquila and Pyxis. Pyxis was ever cheerful and delighted to be of assistance, and Aquila came out on high alert and ready for anything.

"Hey guys," Lucy stated with a smile before she showed them the map, "I have to reach this spot within two hours. Could you please help me?"

Aquila studied the map closely before he nodded, looked up at the sky and said, "It looks like it will rain soon; however, I can easily scout out the spot and report back to you within the next thirty minutes."

"Awesome!" Lucy replied, "Thank you Aquila!" She had learned during her training days this past month, that Aquila could fly for many miles away from her and she and any of her other spirits that were summoned out could hear Aquila's projected thoughts when he had something to report. During the past month, Lucy didn't get to really test it much, like being under attack or having to scout a location, since she and Natsu had to stay in the same area; however, this was finally a chance to really test it out. She and Aquila did test the distance on several days and they had gotten up to a hundred miles before Lucy finally became fatigued from having so many spirits out all day long. She loved at how versatile she and her spirit family had become since her mission with Orga.

Then once Pyxis pointed the way, Aquila gave a slight bow before he transformed into an eagle and set off towards his destination to find the cave for Lucy.

* * *

Lucy was impressed with her own stamina even though she shouldn't have been with how hard she had been training since Samui Yama. She and Pyxis had made it three fourths of the way there before the rain began to pour down on them. The rain was so heavy that they had to take temporarily shelter for a bit and Virgo equipped them with rain gear and boots. Lucy couldn't help but giggle at how cute Pyxis looked in his bird shaped rock climbing boots. Aquila had to return to the Celestial Realm because he could not fly in rain that was this hard; however, he had already found the cave and Lucy would be there within the next twenty minutes. The only issue he noted was that with this rain, it would be hard for her to climb up alone to the entrance of the cave, but she believed that with Capricorn's help and jumping abilities, she would be able to make it up fine.

* * *

The rain only slowed her and Pyxis down a little bit and once she reached the base of the cave, she gave the spirit a hug and thanked him before she let him know that she would probably need his help on the way back too. After the spirit went back, Capricorn came out to join her and as the spirit picked her up, they heard a sound in the distance and saw a black signal shoot up into the sky.

"Hmmm, I've never seen a different colored flare before," Lucy told the Goat Spirit, "That must be Gajeel though if the color is supposed to reflect the different contestants."

Then before Capricorn could jump up to the ledge, another flare went off—bright red. "Hm," Capricorn stated with a proud smile, "That must be Natsu-sama's."

"I want to be next!" Lucy laughed out and Capricorn obliged and in one giant leap, Lucy was at the cave entrance. She quickly jumped down and found the flare gun before she ran over to it, read the instructions, ran back to the entrance of the cave and shot it off into the sky.

She smiled as a bright pink light shot off the signal to the sky and it was soon followed by a dark blue one. "Hmmm, I don't know if that would be Gray's or Juvia's," Lucy admitted before she gave Capricorn a bow and said, "Thank you for helping me!"

"Anytime, Lucy-sama," Capricorn stated before he added, "We are all very proud with how well you are doing during the exams and mediating shouldn't be a difficult task for you at all."

Lucy gave her spirit a smile as Virgo popped out with a yoga mat for Lucy and a change of clothes. "Thank you, Capricorn…it means a lot to hear you say that," Lucy replied honestly—Capricorn's opinion mattered a lot to her since he and her mother had been so close. In an odd way, when he reassured her, it was like getting reassurance from her own mother.

The Goat Spirit gave her a bow and reminded her to call him if she needed anything. Once he was gone, a green flare went up followed by an orange one. She assumed it was Freed's and Levy's as she stripped down out of her wet clothes and put on a pair of yoga pants and lightweight teal hoodie that Virgo handed her. If she was going to mediate, she wanted to be comfortable doing it and not thinking about her soaking wet clothes and heavy boots.

"Thank you so much for everything, Virgo," Lucy stated, "You are always there when I need you."

The Maid Spirit was filled with pride before she asked, "Punishment?"

"Not today!" Lucy teased her dear friend, before Virgo disappeared back into the Celestial Realm with a smile on her face.

Once she was alone, she faced her mat so that she could look out the cave and took a seat. She took a deep breath and realized at how beautiful her view actually was. While she couldn't see the entire island, she could see over most of the tree line and towards the giant tree at the center of the island. It was perfectly peaceful as the sound of the rain poured down on the Fairy Island.

Before she started her meditation, she held onto Horologium's key and communicated to him to notify her once her time was up, because she knew how far she could fall into a mediated state, just before a light blue flare lit up the sky.

Then as she took a deep breath and closed her eyes, she heard the final flare, as she began to let her mind focus on just her breath and the sound of the rain around her.

* * *

To Lucy, it only seemed like a matter of minutes when Horologium set off the alarm that made her eyes open. She took another deep breath and smiled at the rain that continued to fall. However, a new sense of clarity seemed to have washed over her in the past hour. She continued to watch the rain in her relaxed state and couldn't help it when a few tears escaped from her eyes. They weren't tears of sadness, but tears of relief. A relief that someone gets when a giant weight has been lifted off of their shoulders. The kind of tears one has when they know everything will be ok—and that is what she felt in that moment.

And as she leaned back onto her elbows, before she began the trek back to the campsite, she smiled to herself knowing that she had finally made her choice.


	65. Chapter 65

Lucy emerged from the jungle and back into their campsite where she was greeted by Master Makarov, the S-Class Mages, Natsu, and Gajeel. She felt as light as a feather, even though in reality she looked more like a drowned rat with the torrential downpour that had yet to let up from the moment she left her meditation cave. She knew which man she wanted to be with; however, right now she still needed to focus on the exams and that is what she was going to put her heart and soul into doing. Then after the exams were done tomorrow, she would inform both men of her choice.

"Luce!" Natsu called out as he ran over to her, "We are the first team back!"

"Awesome, but I didn't think it was a race," Lucy laughed as she went to stand under the canopy that Laxus and Gildarts had put up for everyone to wait under.

Natsu shrugged his shoulders and admitted, "Not sure, but at least we can say we were the first team back."

"But not the first person back," Gajeel grinned in their direction with a metal toothpick in his mouth.

"Only by thirty seconds!" Natsu shouted over his shoulder towards Gajeel.

"Still—it beats being Number 2 and Number 3," Gajeel teased, "Nobody likes being Number 2."

Lucy just shook her head at the arguing men before she went and took a seat next to Erza and Mira. "Hey girls," Lucy said with a smile, "How's everyone doing on the beach? Being in the rain can't be much fun."

Mira gave her a warm smile back before she replied, "Oh they are doing ok. Most of them are worn out from playing on the beach all day yesterday in the heat and being drunk. So today, the men set up canopies like this one so that everyone could snack, play games, and relax."

"That sound like fun!" Lucy exclaimed before she took a drink of water and saw that Gray and Freed had emerged from the jungle as well.

Erza nodded her head and stated, "I think everyone is ready to get back home and party in the guild."

"Party?" Lucy asked in confusion.

"Yes, tomorrow the exams will end at noon, so Kinana and Lisanna are making sure that arrangements are being made for the revelation of the newest S-Class Mage!" Mira squealed in delight, "All of our alliance guild friends are coming."

With that news, Lucy choked on her water and asked, "A-all guild friends?"

"Mmhmmm, even Sabertooth," Mira replied with a wink at Lucy.

A deep blush coated Lucy's face and then the blonde saw Laxus in her peripherals who was standing at the edge of the canopy overhang speaking with Freed. The last time that Orga and Laxus had been in the same room with her, it had been awkward as hell—but at least this time they were on friendlier terms. However, it sounded like now—both men would have their answer from her tomorrow. She took a deep breath and reminded herself that she had to focus on the exams. Tomorrow would come fast enough, but she had to keep her eye on her goal of becoming an S-Class Mage right now.

Not long later, Juvia emerged from the clearing, followed by Cana and Levy a few minutes later. As Lucy studied everyone, she noticed a difference in attitude. For the most part, everyone had light smiles on their faces and shoulders were relaxed. In Gajeel's and Natsu's cases, they were sitting next to each other casually talking, and without fighting, as Cana walked up and sat down next to her boyfriend. Juvia followed a similar path and went to speak to her new teammates as the newest member of the Raijinshu. Gray and Levy both seemed to have calmed down as well as they met up and talked quietly with each other. Lucy prayed that whatever trial was next, everyone could keep the positive attitudes that they all seemed to find.

"Listen up, brats!" Master Makarov said with a smile, "We will begin the next competition immediately."

Everyone grew silent and Lucy shifted in her seat a little in anticipation of the news to come. Makarov pointed towards the jungle and said, "Last night, Mavis had sat up a maze of sorts near the old ruins on the island. Each of you will be dropped off at a different entry point in the maze and your goal is to find the center of the maze to defeat the two monsters that will await in the middle."

Nobody spoke and seemed ok with the task as Makarov continued with a mischievous grin, "It would be wise for you to find your partner as soon as possible, because if you come across any of the other contestants, feel free to battle them to end their time in the maze."

"Oh yeah," Natsu stated with a grin before he shot up out of his chair, "I'm all fired up!"

Lucy and Natsu looked at each other with a grin, because they knew they had an extreme advantage over the other contestants. Gajeel would be a difficult one for them, because he would be able to smell which direction Cana would be in, just like Natsu would be able to smell Lucy. Likewise, Lucy had Canes Venatici and would be able to track down any of the contestants that she wanted to and find the center of the maze.

Makarov waved his hands so that the other S-Class mages stood up and said, "Now, all of you will be escorted to your entry point into the maze and once you have arrived, you will wait for the sound of the horn to go off before you can begin. The only rule is, no flying magic is allowed. Good luck everyone!"

Mira smiled and waved, "Juvia, Lucy, you two are with me!"

Lucy watched as Gray and Gajeel were paired up with Laxus; Cana and Freed were paired with Erza; and Levy and Natsu were paired up with Gildarts. Then Natsu turned around and waved, "See you soon, Luce!"

Lucy smiled back and practically jumped out of her own skin at the excitement of the next event. She was ready for anything.

* * *

It took about thirty minutes for the three girls to reach Cana's drop-off point. As Mira and Lucy walked for towards the area where Lucy would be taken, Mira's curiosity got the best of her when the white haired mage asked, "So Lucy, have you had the chance to speak to Orga at all during the exams?"

"No," Lucy blinked in surprise, "I didn't think we'd be allowed to talk with anyone on our communication lacrimas until after the trials were over."

Mira got a sly smile on her face when she replied, "Weeeeelll, I haven't heard any rules  _against_  it."

Lucy just laughed, "Well that's good to know, but right now I am trying to stay focused and it sounds like I will see him tomorrow night right?"

"Hopefully!" Mira stated in excitement, "I haven't seen the RSVP list yet, but I'm sure he will be on it."

"Mmhmm," Lucy replied with a smile.

"Oh my though," Mira fanned herself, "You and Laxus are just so adorable and if you date him, then we can go on a double date, or triple with Lisanna and Bicks, or quadruple with Elfman and Evergreen! But from what Erza says, Orga is so sweet to you and incredibly thoughtful."

Lucy could see that Mira was working herself into a fangirling tizzy as the Take-over Mage began to shake her head with both palms on her cheeks muttering, "Oh my, both of those men fighting for your hand. How will you ever chose?!"

Lucy was not about to tell Mira that she had in fact already made her decision. One, because it would be spread all over Fiore in a matter of hours if Mira knew first and she didn't think that would be fair to Orga or Laxus. Two, she decided that she was going to tell the man that she just wanted to be friends with first, because it wouldn't be fair for him to find out that she had chosen someone else through the grapevine. Both men were going to find out tomorrow and nobody besides her was going to know that she had made up her mind, and who that man was, until that point in time.

She could hear Mira still babbling to herself about sex, what size of condoms she would probably need to buy—if it were Orga, because disturbingly enough Mira knew what size Laxus needed, birth control, marriage, babies, and god knows what else as she sighed to herself. Even though Lucy knew she was making the right choice, sometimes growing up and "adulting" really sucked, because she didn't want to hurt anyone with her choice.

"Well, here you are!" Mira beamed at her, "And good luck!"

"Thanks Mira," Lucy smiled weakly as she stood in front of a 10 foot ivy covered door.

The rain had let up on them a little during the walk to the maze and was now a light mist, but because of the humidity, all of Lucy's clothes seemed to cling to her harder than usual. She didn't want to feel bound in her clothes, so as she waited, she took off her rain jacket and Virgo took it back to the celestial world. She supposed the rest of her outfit would be just fine. Combat boots with spandex running shorts and a tank top. Granted she wouldn't be winning any fashion awards for this outfit anytime soon, but it would allow her the agility she needed, along with keeping her footing on the wet ground.

* * *

She kept a close eye on the time as another ten minutes passed. Then just after she adjusted her hair into a high pony tail, a large horn sounded across the island and the ivy door that stood before her opened up.

She couldn't contain her excitement as she entered the door and yelled, "Open, Gate of the Hunting Dogs! Canes Venatici!"

"Hey boys!" Lucy laughed as the silver dogs jumped on her and tackled her to the ground, giving her licks of happiness all over her face.

"Lucy!" the called out in unison, "We are so excited that we get to help you during the exams!"

Lucy continued to giggle as she rubbed their furry heads in delight before she said, "Yes, but the next trial has already started and I need your help."

The two celestial dogs immediately straightened up into their noble posture to listen to their orders. Lucy smiled at them before she said, "Natsu and I have been separated in this maze with six other mages in my guild. We are supposed to find the center of the maze to defeat two monsters and it would be easier if Natsu and I could find each other sooner rather than later; however, I don't want either of you to get hurt or caught because the other six are allowed to engage in battle."

The two dogs nodded in understanding before they echoed their thoughts into Lucy's mind, "Keeping out of sight will not be an issue. We can already smell all of them and can smell Natsu too."

"How close is he?" Lucy asked as she called out Lupus to get one of the swords he had made for her.

"He is on the complete opposite side in that direction," Canes Venatici replied as they pointed towards the north.

"Excellent, can you tell me who is closest to me? Or what they smell like?" Lucy asked after she had thanked Lupus and the Wolf Spirit returned to the Celestial Realm.

The two dogs sniffed the air as Lucy strapped the sword to her back. The first dog spoke, "One smells like booze, female."

"Cana," Lucy smiled as she secured the sword one last time.

"The other is also female," the second dog spoke, "And smells of ink and books."

"Levy," Lucy whispered before she asked, "Can you tell if they are closer to each other than I am to them?"

"They have already engaged in battle," the two dogs added and blinked calmly.

"Shit that was fast," Lucy grumbled, because she was a little concerned about those two fighting over everyone else—especially after Levy's fight with Mira yesterday. She just figured it wouldn't be good to let them go at it.

Finally she turned back to her friends and said, "Thank you, both. I think Natsu will make his way to me, so if one of you could start your search for the center, while the other leads me to Cana and Levy that would be super helpful."

The two dogs nodded before one took off at high speed through the maze to search out the middle while her other loyal spirit remained at her side to lead her towards Cana and Levy. Her mind already began to strategize about how to defeat the two women. She knew that she could instantly KO them, but she wanted to save that for if she went up against Gajeel. Plus, she knew that the two women did not have the durable bodies of Dragon Slayers so she didn't want to use Draco against them. However, she wanted to end their fight as soon as possible not only to save her energy on the other mages, but because the last thing Cana and Levy needed to be doing was fighting each other in a battle.

* * *

**Gray's perspective…**

Gray grumbled to himself as he got turned around again. All of this ivy was starting to piss him off again. He was already mad at himself for how the exams were going so far, he should have beaten Gajeel because Natsu would have—plus, he was mad at the whole Juvia situation.

Sure it was annoying as hell how she used to drool over him, but then when he saw her again and she was more or less not affected by his presence at all—it really bothered him and he didn't know why. Did he really miss out on something special because she came on so strong? Freed made it seem like that. Then to see her just be welcomed by Freed and Laxus onto their team after the exams…it just didn't sit well with him. Plus he knew he was probably being childish, but he just didn't know how to get past it all. Then what was up with Natsu maturing? Was being with just Lucy for a month that rewarding? He and Levy were mature, right?

But then he just sighed to himself with how Levy had acted yesterday. They had spent so much time working on becoming stronger physically and magically that they didn't really focus on becoming emotionally strong. It was something he knew he would have to work on.

* * *

As he made his way through the maze, he halted when he came to a large ivy overpass that looked different than the others because it had white lilies all entangled in the greenery.

Then his eyes widened when Juvia came around the corner in front of him. The Water Woman's defenses immediately raised and Gray smirked before he said, "Well Juvia, it looks like we are going to fight first."

The woman didn't reply before Gray added, "I'll try to make it painless."

But then he froze when Juvia said flatly, "Gray-san, Juvia does not need your pity. This fight will turn out much differently than when Gray-san and Juvia first fought during the Phantom Incident."

"San instead of sama now?" Gray asked with an arch to his brow, "That hurts Juvia."

"Probably no more than the pain Juvia felt every time Gray-san rejected Juvia's declarations of love," Juvia replied with no emotion in her voice.

"You were a bit intense, in my defense," Gray pointed out.

"Juvia apologizes for her behavior, but not Juvia's old feelings," the Water Mage admitted in such an honest tone that it made Gray's heart twinge with guilt and regret at a loss he couldn't understand yet, "From now on, Gray-san and Juvia can be guild mates."

"So be it," Gray whispered out in confusion before he shouted, "Ice-Make, Arrows!"

* * *

**Lucy's perspective…**

As Lucy made her way towards Cana and Levy, she noticed that several dark clouds began to roll in from the west at an incredible speed.

Her spirit raised his head and sniffed the air before he replied, "There is a cold and wet smell coming from that direction and a great battle is taking place."

Lucy watched in awe as a torrential downpour so heavy that nothing could be seen in that direction covered one area of the maze and replied, "That must be Gray and Juvia."

Then out of their peripherals, Lucy and her Celestial Dog both saw a large fire illuminate the northern part of the maze. They both grinned and stated, "Natsu."

* * *

**Natsu's perspective…**

Natsu was running down the maze at full speed. He could smell that Freed was closest to him and was probably already laying as many runes down as he could. From what he could tell, because the wind was coming from the south, Lucy was much further south than him, along with everyone else.

As he ran towards the direction of Freed, he began to think of a way to beat a man that had probably thought of three ways to beat all of them already. A scowl appeared on his face as he thought about Draco's training. He couldn't just fight Freed without a plan, the man was too smart. Freed had even beaten Erza yesterday and Natsu had never even beaten Erza.

As he got closer and closer, Natsu began to think about how Lucy might fight Freed. The easiest thing would be to copy him with Gemini, but Natsu didn't have Gemini—it was just him on this fight. Chances are Freed had shield and trapping runes up right now.

Then a lightbulb went off inside of his head and he came to a screeching halt. His eyes squinted together in thought before verbally thought out everything, "If he has runes up right now, he possibly has ones up so that if I get close enough it will trigger them and then trap me."

He looked around the maze then stuck his hand in the ivy to test where his mind was going. "Hmmm, just plants—no buildings, no children, no old people, and no property destruction."

Then he got a wild grin on his face before he shrugged his shoulders and said, "I guess setting a fire around Freed wouldn't be a bad plan, because nobody is around to get hurt and I could smoke him out. I don't think his runes could block out smoke, heat, and if I start to melt the ground. Keeping runes up that long would wear him down. Plus, I could stay far enough away from him and he can't fly over me. I will set a trap for the man who sets traps and lead him to where I want him to go."

The Fire Dragon Slayer grabbed ahold of the vines on both sides of him and immediately set them ablaze as he began to heat the ground around him. He remembered a few turns ago, in the maze, that there was a blocked off dead end—that is where he would lead the Rune Mage.

* * *

**Lucy's perspective…**

"They are around the next turn," her spirit warned her, "Also, there is a man that smells like Iron quickly approaching, you won't have much time."

"Gajeel," Lucy whispered before she asked, "Can you tell if he has detected you yet?"

The dog shook his head no before he replied, "If his nose is as good as Natsu's, he probably smells Celestial Magic, but since he hasn't seen me before I don't think he will pursue. He will most likely come out the other side. If he changes course I will bark once."

"Excellent," Lucy replied, "You wait here, out of sight while I take care of those girls, then Gajeel."

Lucy knew she had to end this fast since Gajeel was obviously coming to help Cana. The blonde silently summoned out Scorpio, Sagittarius, and Virgo before she communicated their plan to them.

The Maid Spirit bowed before she dove underground to destabilize the earth around them, just as Scorpio, Lucy, and Sagittarius ran around the corner. Lucy's eyes widened in shock when she saw the completely destroyed maze around them as Cana and Levy fought in the open. Neither woman were saying anything to each other, other than calling out their various spells. It was obvious that it was a battle that had to do with more than just becoming an S-Class mage—it was about a man and Lucy was going to end that childish stuff right now.

"Lucy! Stay back!" Cana yelled, "This is between me and Levy!"

"Please Lu-chan!" Levy pleaded as she cast a Solid script fire towards Cana's deck of cards.

"Sorry girls," Lucy replied with a grin, hoping her strategy would work, "Gajeel is headed this way and I would prefer to take you both out first before I have to fight him."

The Solid Script and the Card Mage both froze at the sound of what appeared to by cockiness coming from Lucy. Cana looked in her direction and asked, "What was that?"

"I said I was going to take you both out," Lucy tried to say in the most sincere cocky voice that she could muster. She hated doing this to both of the girls, but it was the best plan that she could think of. Turning them against her was better than them hating each other—well at least in Lucy's mind.

"You think you could take us both out?" Levy asked, "At the same time?"

"Yes," Lucy stated flatly.

Cana snorted before she said, "Lu, I don't like this attitude of yours."

"Deal with it," Lucy stated flatly, "You two are the ones being idiots. I never would have thought that Cana and Levy would be fighting over a man about all things. Men are morons, sisters before misters, ovaries before brovaries—you know Parks and Rec?"

Cana and Levy looked at each other before they looked back at Lucy, who was now second guessing her strategy before Levy admitted, "We aren't fighting over Gajeel anymore. I told her I was wrong to treat her that way, I realized that during my mediation, I am more mad at her for how she did it and without coming to talk to me first. She has been my friend longer than I liked Gajeel, I felt like I deserved that much. I'll get over Gajeel, even though it hurts and sucks right now. But if he wanted Cana then logically, he is not my type."

"HEY! I TAKE OFFENSE TO THAT!" Cana yelled in Levy's direction.

The bluenette just shrugged her shoulders before Cana added, "However, she's right. It was a bitch move on my part, but I know a few nerdy guys from my travels that would be all over her in a heartbeat."

The blonde blinked in confusion as a deep shade of red covered Levy's face. "So the intensity here then is what exactly?" Lucy used her fingers to point around at the utterly destroyed maze.

"S-class status," both girls said in unison like Lucy had lost her goddamn mind.

"Oh cool!" Lucy sighed in relief as she put her hands on her hips, "I'm so glad your guys' fight is over then!"

"Well, I don't know about that," Levy admitted, "I still need some time. People don't just forget pain and forgive that easy."

"I can live with that," Cana whispered in the Solid Script Mage's direction.

"Well," Lucy said with a pause before she grinned, "Still doesn't change the fact that I have to take you both out."

"Biiiiitch," Cana stated with a grin as she threw a card towards Lucy too.

"Scorpio now!" Lucy cried out as she dodge the attacks that Levy and Cana both threw at her. She could live with them both fighting her over them fighting each other.

"Sand-buster!" Scorpio yelled to block the vision of the other two women as Lucy and Sagittarius put on special glasses that Virgo had made for them so that they could see through the sand, because the attack wasn't just for the two girls—it was for the Iron Dragon Slayer that was quickly approaching as well.

"Moshi, moshi," Sagittarius called as he sent flaming arrows through the sand to move Levy and Cana closer together.

"Ow!" Cana yelled out as Sagittarius's arrows began to push the girls closer together, "I am so goddamn sick of fire in this competition!"

Once the girls were less than four feet apart, Lucy yelled, "Virgo, now!"

"Levy, run!" Cana called out, but it was too late as the ground below the girls gave out and they went crumbling down—thus ending the fight between the three mages.

"Yay!" Lucy called out just as a large screen lit up above them that had an update.

Lucy read out loud, "Gray vs. Juvia; victor—Juvia."

"Aquarius will like that," Scorpio grinned, "When she found out that Juvia and Gray were still not a couple, she was pretty pissed."

Lucy squealed when she continued, "Natsu vs. Freed; victor—Natsu." Then she turned to yell towards her spirits, "He did it!"

Then finally her own battle appeared and Scorpio read at loud, "Levy vs. Cana vs. Lucy; victor—Lucy."

Just as Scorpio finished his sentence, a brilliant flame shot up into the sky from the North and she smiled as Sagittarius said, "That must be Natsu-san congratulating you."

"Mmm," Lucy nodded in agreement before she thanked Virgo, Scorpio, and Sagittarius for their assistance and sent them back to the Celestial Realm.

She looked around and decided to wait, because Canes Venatici had not howled yet, which meant that Gajeel would arrive any minute. Half of the contestants were out already and she knew that Natsu was probably hunting down Juvia as they spoke, or racing this way so that he could watch her kick Gajeel's butt too.

Scorpio's sand was just starting to settle when Gajeel emerged onto the destroyed field. The Iron Dragon Slayer didn't look very happy when he stated, "Bunny Girl, I don't know whether to be in complete awe of you or super pissed."

"It's ok to feel both," Lucy stated with a grin.

The Iron Dragon Slayer chuckled a little before he replied, "Hanging out with those two lightning monsters turned you into a monster yourself it seems, but I won't take it easy on ya for taking my girl out."

Lucy decided that she wanted to have a little bit of fun before she called out Draco just as Gajeel called out, "Tetsuryūken!" and began to run at her with his arm extended into a sword.

However Lucy was well versed in the art of swordsmanship now, thanks to Lupus, and quickly drew her katana out and blocked Gajeel's attack.

"Bunny Girl has a bite now," Gajeel smirked as he slashed at her once more.

"I've always had a bite," Lucy laughed as her and Gajeel danced around each other, "Have you ever watched  _Monty Python and the Holy Grail_?"

Gajeel's eyebrow arched a little before he replied, "Yeah, a long time ago."

Lucy grinned before she asked, "Do you remember the bunny from that movie?"

Gajeel lost it in a fit of laughter as the two parried and fought for better footing as Lucy continued, "Just think of me like that from now on when you call me Bunny Girl."

"Wil do," Gajeel laughed as he changed his attack style and yelled, "Tetsuryū no Hōkō!"

Lucy dodged his roar, just as Natsu and Juvia both rounded the corner.

"Missed me," Lucy smiled at Gajeel.

Natsu quickly ran to Lucy's side as Juvia took a stance next to Gajeel. The Iron Dragon Slayer and the Water Mage looked at each other and Gajeel grinned, "Well Juvia, want to team up for old time's sake against these two morons?"

Juvia smiled at Gajeel and at Natsu and Lucy before she replied, "Juvia would like that very much."

"I got Juvia," Natsu smiled and surprised everyone, except for Lucy.

Then Lucy decided it would be fun to introduce Gajeel to her newest family member as she held out Draco's key and said, "I have the Metal Bucket then."

"HEY!" Gajeel called out a little offended.

Lucy just giggled before she said, "Open, Gate of the Dragon! Draco!"

Gajeel froze before he yelled, "Juvia, watch out!"

Lucy and Natsu stood there grinning like a pair of idiots as Draco's shadow engulfed the entire maze. Juvia just held up her hand and said, "Juvia is sorry, but Gajeel-sama is on his own."

"Hey, that's not fair!" Gajeel called out to his guild mate but the Water Woman just smiled and got the heck out of the way.

Gajeel remained frozen as Draco lowered his head to get a better look at the man he was to battle. Then Draco gave a low chuckle before he stated, "Son of Metalicana, I presume?"

"Y-you know my shitty Dad?" Gajeel growled out in surprise.

"Yes, definitely Metalicana's son," Draco boomed in laughter.

Natsu was practically dancing with joy at the thought of Draco pounding Gajeel into oblivion.

Gajeel looked over at Lucy and said, "So, you have a dragon now too?"

"Mmhmm, one of those Lightning Monsters found his key for me" Lucy smiled, "Gajeel meet Draco. Draco meet Gajeel Redfox."

"It's a pleasure," Draco greeted his prey warmly.

"Yeah, yeah," Gajeel grumbled, because he knew that this was going to suck, before he looked over at Natsu and asked, "Did you beat him?"

"NOT EVEN ONCE!" Natsu barked out a laugh and was rolling on the ground in a fit of delight.

"Shit," Gajeel frowned as he readied himself.

Then Draco surprised Gajeel when he said, "After the exams, I would very much like the chance to speak with you more Gajeel, Son of Metalicana."

"I'd like that too," Gajeel said quietly and Lucy noticed with a little bit of blush on his face. However, the fuzzy feelings soon went away when Gajeel readied himself and once again shouted towards Lucy, "Tetsuryū no Hōkō!"

"Laaaaaame!" Natsu jeered at Gajeel and Lucy remained planted where she was, because all Draco had to do was move his leg in front of her to block the hit.

Juvia stood off away from everything wide eyed and Gajeel's scowled deepened when he saw the smug expression on Draco's face and not even a scratch on the ancient dragon or Lucy.

"Draco," Lucy spoke up, "We should probably end it quickly."

"Agreed," Draco replied as he flung his tail towards Gajeel and sent the man flying backwards into the maze—immediately ending the dual.

Then the screen above them updated once more to show Lucy's victory, before the blonde turned to Draco and said, "Thank you very much!"

"Of course," Draco boomed before he pointed his tail at Juvia, "And what about this one?"

"She's mine," Natsu grinned, "She took out Gray, it's only fair that I fight her."

"Very well, Son of Igneel," Draco stated with pride in his voice with how far Lucy and Natsu had both came within the past month.

Once Draco returned to the Celestial Realm, Lucy took a few steps back so that Natsu and Juvia could have more room. They all ignored the updated screen above them as the woman looked at them both and said, "Since Lucy-san is still here, Juvia will fight you both."

Then before either Lucy or Natsu could respond, Juvia yelled, "WATER LOCK!" and trapped both Natsu and Lucy in a large bubble.

Lucy and Natsu looked at each other because Natsu couldn't evaporate the bubble without scorching Lucy's skin badly. He would boil her alive.

Juvia walked up and said, "I know how to defeat Lucy." The Water Mage then manipulated the water to fling Lucy's keys out of the bubble.

Lucy just grinned, but she knew she had to act fast because she could only breathe under water for so long before she held up her wrist that had the bracelet on it that Laxus had given her. She began to fill it with magic and the keys instantly flew back towards her and faster than Juvia could even register what had happened, Lucy had summoned out Aquarius.

"Ehhh?" Aquarius replied in annoyance, "You keep interrupting mine and Scorpio's date! Summoning us out almost every day for a month wasn't good enough for you, huh? You just haaaad to summon us out again on the same day?"

Lucy grinned nervously, but her plan was working when Aquarius held up her pitcher and shot a violent wave out that knocked both Lucy and Natsu out of the water.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch," Lucy winced as she skidded on her bum across the hard ground. Then she sighed to herself with a smile, at least some things didn't change.

"Thanks Aquarius!" Natsu called out just before he went into Lightning Dragon Mode.

Lucy stood up and watched as Juvia sent up hundreds of water orbs, just like in her fight against Laxus; however, this time, they were constantly moving and one was coming straight for her head.

"Impressive," Juvia said with a smile just as Natsu ran towards her, completely evaporating the orbs around him.

However, Lucy knew that she could remain still as the orbs flew around her and she admired Juvia for her speed and determination to fight both her and Natsu, as she summoned out Gemini who transformed into Juvia to deflect all of the water coming towards Lucy.

Juvia saw from her peripherals that Lucy was not going to attack her, instead she was waiting because Natsu was dealing all of the heavy blows as the Fire Dragon Slayer used his Fire Lightning Fist on her. The Water Mage knew she wasn't going to last long against a Fire and Lightning combo, especially after using most of her magical energy against Gray.

Then instead of leveling another blow, Natsu jumped back and asked, "Juvia, how did you beat Gray?"

"The rain," Juvia replied with a smile as a dark cloud appeared over the battlefield once more before Juvia yelled, "WATER TYPHOON!"

Gemini-Juvia shielded Lucy from the sudden onslaught of rain that was so heavy she could no longer see Natsu or the real Juvia. Then Gemini said in Juvia's voice, "Lucy, this rain is so powerful that it would slice through your skin if you were exposed to it. Not only has Juvia mastered the typhoon to such a degree that it would penetrate flesh like a knife would, but Juvia has made the water boiling hot. She could defeat Gray with this, because the water is as hot as Natsu setting it on fire."

"How are you holding up?" Lucy asked Gemini in concern.

"It does not affect us, but protecting you from it is draining our magic fast," Gemini admitted.

Lucy nodded in understanding as she got Virgo's and Loke's keys ready; however, she should have known better when a bright flame emerged on the field and she heard Natsu yell, "Raienryū no Hōkō!"

All Lucy could make out from the rain, was fire and lightning hitting a target and then everything grew quiet once more. Luckily thanks to Orga's lacrima, none of the lightning bothered her. She stood back up just as Gemini-Juvia said, "He did it."

Then the score board above them updated once more and showed everyone that Natsu had defeated Juvia.

"Yeah!" Natsu cheered as he ran over to help Juvia up and said, "Nice fighting, Juvia! That was so awesome!"

"Thank you, Natsu-san, Juvia enjoyed the fight as well," the Water Mage replied weakly before she added, "But please allow Juvia to rest here, besides Natsu-san and Lucy-san need to find the center."

Natsu obeyed the woman's wishes and Lucy walked up and knelt before Juvia and asked, "Is there anything we can get you?"

"Juvia is ok," Juvia replied with a smile.

"Yeah, Lucy, we are fine down here too!" they all heard Cana call up from the pit that her and Levy had been in because of Virgo.

"Sorry Cana!" Lucy called down below.

"Yeah, yeah!" Cana laughed out.

"Actually we just woke up!" Levy called out, "Congrats to you and Natsu and good luck with the two monsters!"

"I don't think they will need it, Levy, Natsu and Lucy are a pair of monsters themselves," Cana jeered.

Natsu and Lucy looked at each other just as one of the Hunting Dogs rounded the corner and said, "My counterpart found the center. I'll lead the way!"

Lucy and Natsu both grinned as Lucy said, "They found it, let's go!"

* * *

**Makarov's, Laxus's, and Gildarts's perspectives…**

The three men were all watching as Lucy summoned out Draco. The three men looked up from the screen to see the real thing before they looked back down to hear what was being said.

However, Gildarts couldn't help but bust out laughing before he said, "Laxus, are you sure you want to date this girl? She seems a bit out of your league in terms of intelligence and if you break her heart, then she will sick that Dragon on you."

Laxus was impressed to say the least that Lucy could summon out a Dragon. He definitely wanted to talk to her about him later.

Then Makarov began to giggle from the alcohol and muttered out, "My possible future grandchildren will be so strong!"

Laxus sighed to himself, because he was surrounded by idiots. Then a scowl appeared on his face when he heard that Orga had given Lucy Draco's key. He understood her on levels that Laxus himself just didn't get. He thought he could get there, but it would just take time. Either way, he saw for his own eyes just how strong Lucy had become.

* * *

**Guild Members on the beach perspectives…**

Happy, Wendy, Carla, Romeo, and Lily were all sitting on a blanket together playing Go Fish when they heard Macao yell, "DRAGON! DRAGON!"

Everyone on the beach began to panic thinking that Acnologia had come back to finish what he had started, but Happy remained planted and glanced over at the Dragon before he said, "Everyone, calm down, it's just Draco."

However, nobody could hear him over the chaos, except for Wendy. The Sky Dragon Slayer remembered that Happy was the only other person who had met Draco, besides Natsu and Orga. The young girl looked around at everyone panicking and Macao was about to call the other guilds for help before she stood up and yelled, "EVERYONE STOP!"

The Fairy Tail guild members all froze, because Wendy never raised her voice. She held up her hands and said, "Happy just said that we don't have anything to worry about, that is one of Lucy's new spirits—his name is Draco."

Everyone stood in awe, mixed with fear at the Dragon in the distance.

"Lucy can summon an entire Dragon?" Lisanna asked quietly.

"That's manly!" Elfman yelled out.

"My chest," Macao stated, "I'm getting too old for this."

"Yeah you are," Wakaba teased, "Caused a damn near riot for no goddamn reason."

"I DIDN'T KNOW THAT SWEET LUCY COULD SUMMON OUT A GODDAMN DRAGON!" Macao yelled in his defense.

"As much as I love Freed, Cosplayer has the S-Class exams in the bag," Bickslow laughed.

"Too bad Lucy didn't have Draco when Acnologia attacked last time," Max added in.

"Carla, I can't wait to meet him!" Wendy said to her Exceed friend.

"Natsu and Lucy are both sooooo strong," Happy snickered towards Lily, "Myyyy Dragon Slayer's team is stronger!"

Lily collapsed on the beach in defeat before he stated in is deep voice, "Gajeel will probably run away, just like he did when Laxus defeated Natsu in a single blow. And Cana is probably drunk in a hole somewhere."

"MY TEAM'S THE STRONGEST!" Happy laughed as he danced around Lily.

* * *

**Orga's perspective…**

Orga had just finished setting up his tent in the mountains when he saw his communication lacrima lighting up on his sleeping bag inside of his tent. Rufus was scouting out the area to the west of him. There were whispers of dark mages in the terrain and Sabertooth was the closest guild to investigate. They wanted to make sure that it was not Jiemma or any of his minions. It was going to be a short mission that put them back home the next day.

The Lightning Mage immediately went for it because he didn't know if it was from his guild and they needed help or if it was Fairy Tail needing help.

Instead he was greeted with news he was suspecting when Sting's happy face filled the screen and said, "Hey Orga! We finally found out what time the party is tomorrow night!"

"Uhh, what party?" Orga asked in confusion.

Sting looked like he was about to explode when he said, "Fairy Tail is coming home tomorrow night and they invited us all over to celebrate with them! It starts at 7 p.m.!"

Orga felt his heart skip a beat as Lucy's face entered his mind. He couldn't wait to see her.

"So, you are coming right?! To win Lucy's hand and stuff!" Sting asked.

"Yeah, I'll be there, but Rufus and I might not get there on time," Orga admitted.

"That's ok, I just wanted to make sure that you would for sure be there!" Sting stated happily.

Orga let out a sigh. Their guild was under threat of attack, thanks to their old Master, now their new Master was more worried about a party than the fact that Orga and Rufus were on a mission to find said old Master.

"All right, I'll speak to you tomorrow" Orga grunted before he closed off the connection.

As Orga stood up, to exit his tent, a small smile crept on his face about the fact that he finally might be able to call Lucy his girlfriend tomorrow and that was something to look forward to.

* * *

**Lucy's and Natsu's perspectives…**

The three female mages wished them luck as Lucy and Natsu followed the spirit down the winding paths of the maze. Then Natsu looked at her and said with a toothy grin, "So you just had to take out three of them, huh? Show-off!"

The blonde couldn't help but laugh before she replied, "Well you took out two of them, so together we took out almost everyone."

"Yeah," Natsu agreed with a sigh, "I wish I could have taken out Gray myself though!"

Lucy sweatdropped at Natsu's discontent with the situation before the Dragon Slayer added, "Everyone has really grown."

"Yes they have," Lucy replied honestly.

Then the pink haired man next to her said, "I'm glad you are on my team and my best friend!"

"Same," Lucy stated before she gave Natsu a playful push. But then the Fire Dragon Slayer froze, and so did the hunting dog spirit that was leading them. "What is it?" Lucy asked in concern.

"They just showed up," Natsu stated.

"Who?" Lucy asked.

"The two monsters," Canes Venatici explained as the Hunting Dogs counterpart ran up to join them.

Natsu looked at Lucy and grinned before he informed her, "The two monsters—are Erza and Mira."

* * *

**Ovaries before brovaries is a quote from Leslie Knope in _Parks n Rec_. Great show if you haven't watched it yet.**

**And obviously, the Bunny reference is from _Monty Python and the Holy Grail_. If you haven't seen it, just look that part up on YouTube to see something bizarre and hilarious.**


	66. Chapter 66

"Mira and Erza?" Lucy asked, because she wasn't sure if she heard right—they were indeed monsters; however, they were monsters who have not had to exert any energy yet in battle today.

Natsu nodded his head before he asked, "How are you holding up?"

Lucy mentally scanned her body. She could certainly feel the fatigue starting to set in. After all, she had already been on a hike, summoned out 9 spirits in a few hours (sometimes more than once), and sword fought against Gajeel. She looked at Natsu and admitted, "I'm really starting to feel it, so if we could keep the battle under thirty minutes—that would be for the best."

Natsu nodded his head in understanding before Lucy continued, "Let's stop and think a second before we go in there." The Fire Dragon Slayer didn't mind as Lucy thanked Canes Venatici and sent them back before she thought out loud, "Yesterday, Freed beat Erza but then you beat Freed today—which later you will have to tell me how you did that."

He grinned at her before he admitted, "I just smoked him into a corner, before I heated everything up and kept sending fireballs at him until his runes broke and he passed out."

"Good strategy," Lucy smiled and Natsu just shrugged his shoulders in mock humility before she continued, "However, Cana beat you yesterday—but then I beat Cana today and Levy who lost to Mira yesterday."

"And you beat Gildarts," Natsu grinned, but he knew the truth before he added, "But you've also used up a crap ton of energy today."

Lucy nodded her head before Natsu added, "The strategy I told Draco probably wouldn't work against Erza this time, unless you have Jellal copied."

"I don't," she admitted and agreed with Natsu. Erza wouldn't fall for eating a cake during the S-Class exams and if they threatened to destroy a cake in front of her, it'd probably tick her off more.

"So what do you think we should do?" Natsu asked.

She thought about that for a moment before she replied, "I think they would expect us to fight one on one with each of them, but I don't think we should."

Natsu listened intently before Lucy added, "Lupus can defend us against Erza; however, I think we should take out Mira first together."

"How do you want to do it?" Natsu asked before he added, "Mira is a purely melee fighter, but she's also crazy adaptable."

"We dull her senses enough to allow you to knock her out I think. If needed, I can cast Urano Metria," Lucy replied before she held up Aries's and Scorpio's keys, before she laughed, "Aquarius is going to get mad again, but this should be the last time I call him out today."

"She won't stay mad for long when we become S-Class Mages," he grinned, "Plus, they told you it was cool—she just likes giving you hell."

Lucy nodded in agreement before she added, "However, we have to be careful. Mira can manipulate water and put us to sleep too if we aren't careful—she's pretty versatile. Then after Mira is gone, we can turn our attention to Erza. If this go south, I can try and summon out Draco again. "

"Sounds good," Natsu replied before he slapped Lucy's shoulder and said, "Let's go kick some more ass."

The two best friends walked side by side until they reached the entrance to the center of the maze. They looked at each other and nodded heads before they passed through the large gate that led them to an enormous clearing where Mira and Erza stood waiting for them.

Both women had smiles on their faces before Mira said, "My, my—Natsu and Lucy made it here together. If I wasn't already shipping LaLuOr, then I would add in NaLu to that mixture."

Lucy let out heavy sigh at Mira's antics and Natsu asked in confusion, "What the hell is LaLuOr?"

"Laxus plus Lucy plus Orga!" Mira squealed as she put her hands to her face and twirled around.

Erza nodded her head in disagreement before she stated, "I still want Baby Mint."

"LaLuOr means you can have Baby Mint," Mira corrected her childhood friend, "Along with Lux and Lucius—Laxus's and Lucy's twins!"

"I don't really want children right now," Lucy sighed in disbelief at how hardcore both Mira and Erza were.

Natsu stared at the woman like she had lost her mind before he stated bluntly, "That's not how real life works."

Mira's smile faded before she asked Natsu in a threatening voice, "What did you say?"

Lucy and Erza detected the change in Mira instantly before Natsu continued, "Lucy can't marry two people at the same time!"

"M-marriage?!" Lucy eeped.

"I say she can!" Mira replied as a dark purple aura started to radiate off of her.

"I say, as her best friend, she can't!" Natsu stated as a matter of factly.

"AAAARRRGHHHHHH!" Mira yelled as she transformed into Satan Soul and charged at Natsu and Lucy while she screamed, "EVIL EXPLOSION!"

Natsu and Lucy were both screaming with their hands up in the opposite direction while Lucy yelled, "THIS ESCALATED WAY TOO QUICKLY!" as Mira charged at them.

Erza just shrugged her shoulders and replied with a smile, "I guess I better join in. I still want Baby Mint though." Then she looked at Natsu who was about to parry an attack from Mira and requipped into her Heaven's Wheel Armor. The red haired mage was about to cast Blumenblatt, but then in her peripherals she saw a flash of silver coming in her direction. She quickly readied her sword in the nick of time just as Lupus yelled, "White Fang!" and slashed in her direction.

Erza parried the attack and smirked before she replied, "It looks like I will have to get through you first if I want to take out Natsu and Lucy."

Lupus readied his sword again before he added with a wolfish grin, "I think it will be them coming for you before you know it."

Erza chuckled a little at the spirit's belief in her two teammates and decided to solely focus her attention on the man before her. She had fought him before, while Lucy was training, and she knew that if she let her guard down, even for a second, then she would lose.

Lucy watched as Natsu blocked Mira's blows just as Lucy summoned out Aries, Virgo, Scorpio, and Taurus before she commanded, "Scorpio and Taurus, unison raid now! Natsu get ready!"

Mira looked over at Lucy who was shouting commands. Scorpio immediately unleashed a sandstorm just as Virgo dove underground to make sure that Natsu could escape the effects a little. Mira charged at the Celestial Spirits, but then lost sight of them because of the sand just before Taurus leaped above her and yelled, "SANDSTORM AXE, ALDEBARAN!"

Virgo had made a path for Natsu underneath the battle ground and he could hear the sandstorm blowing from above. He thanked the spirit before she went back into the Celestial Realm to save Lucy's energy. Natsu could hear Mira scream from Taurus's attack just before he heard Aries yell, "Wool Bomb!"

Then Natsu began to fuel his energy into heating everything around him before he shot flames out of his feet and blew up from the ground like a rocket, directly under Mira and sent her flying through the air. The Fire Dragon Slayer landed next to Lucy on the ground and he noticed that she was panting pretty hard and he knew he would need to handle Erza soon too before Lucy passed out from exhaustion. He admired her for being so strong. He had not done nearly as much work as she had today in regards to using magical energy, yet here she was helping him defeat Mira while simultaneously keeping Erza at bay. She in her own right was a monster now too.

Lucy sent back all of her spirits, except for Lupus, as the two turned towards that fight and readied themselves for Erza.

"You ready to take out one of our best friends?" Natsu asked her with a grin plastered on his face—he had been waiting for this moment for years.

She nodded in response before she felt goosebumps on the back of her neck and Mira's voice from behind him, "I'm not that easy to get rid of."

"Luce, watch out!" Natsu yelled as Mira transformed into Halphas.

Lucy's legs felt like Jell-O, but she managed to jump out of the way of Mira's Cosmic Beam. She touched Gemini's key and communicated her wishes as she dodged Mira's onslaught. Her ears were ringing and she could still hear Natsu yelling in her direction to keep moving, but her legs were nearly done.

Erza looked over at the commotion going on and saw that Mira had transformed into Halphas before she yelled at her S-Class peer and said, "MASTER SAID NOT TO USE THAT FORM!"

That opening was all Lupus needed before he knocked Erza's sword out of her hand and kicked her backwards.

Mira gave her guildmates a devilish grin before she replied, "I have to use my strongest against the newest strong mages in the guild."

Erza quickly recovered before she saw that Lucy was almost at her max for the day as magical pink projectiles came raining down on the field from Mira's attack. The Take-Over mage was trying to take Lucy out as fast as possible; however, everyone froze as another Lucy emerged from the open entrance uttering a spell that none of them understood the language to and her eyes were glowing a bright gold color, just as the ground beneath them turned gold.

The real Lucy looked at Mira and said with a smile, "Don't worry Mira, this attack won't kill you because you are my nakama. It will just cleanse you for a bit," just as the blonde began to recite the ancient spell with Gemini-Lucy and her eyes turned the same golden color.

Natsu stood in awe as he watched the sky above them open up, pushing the rain away, and thousands of stars shone above them. He didn't want to let his best friend fight alone, but when he tried to move, he noticed that everything seemed to slow down. His senses went on overdrive and all of a sudden his vision intensified to the point where he could see a bead of sweat drip from Lucy's brow.

He watched, completely transfixed on Lucy and Gemini-Lucy as they cried out in unison, "JUDICIUM STELLARUM!"

He could hear Mira start to scream as Lucy's spell was forcing her out of her demon-mode; however, he wasn't going to let his best friend fight this battle on her own. He was going to make sure that Lucy stayed conscious to watch him defeat Erza. Then the flames around him ignited once more as he yelled, "Metsuryū Ōgi! Guren Bakuenjin!"

**Laxus's PoV…**

* * *

The blonde Dragon Slayer felt like his heart had stopped as he watched, and felt, Lucy's spell rain down on Mira. They could hear Mira's screams as Natsu's Secret Dragon Slayer Art spell combined with Lucy's magic into a spell that made it look like the Apocalypse had come for them all.

"Jesus," Gildarts breathed in awe.

His Grandfather watched the lacrima screen with a proud smile. They all remained silent in honor of the spell. If they could feel it all the way from where they were sitting, the three men couldn't imagine how Erza and Mira must be feeling right now.

Then when the light of the spell went away, the screen above the field lit up to say: Natsu & Lucy vs Erza & Mira; Mira defeated.

Makarov gave out a low whistle as the lacrima screen they were watching cleared to see a safe, but passed out Mira on the battle field and a Lucy on her hands and knees panting; Lupus and Gemini now both gone. Erza was on the ground on her stomach staggering to get back up as Natsu stood in-between Erza and Lucy to protect his partner.

The Fire Dragon Slayer smiled as he said, "I told them all in Crocus that we were going to kick their asses."

"Yeah you did," Lucy laughed in a tired response.

His Gramps then said to him and Gildarts, "Those two children have grown a lot. We should be lucky that they are members of Fairy Tail and that they are good kids. Imagine how much destruction they could cause if their hearts were not pure gold."

Gildarts smiled at Makarov's praise before he said, "It doesn't look like I'm the strongest anymore."

Makarov couldn't help but laugh at Gildarts's observation before he told the man, "That spell was the one Lucy cast to save Fiore."

"It's pretty powerful stuff," Gildarts admitted, "It is also pretty impressive that she can change the impact of it—like not to hurt Mira at all. She could easily kill with that spell if she wanted."

"Yes, our Light has become pretty incredible," Makarov agreed.

Laxus felt like shit. Shit for how he had treated Lucy during the Oak Town event. However, as he stared at the screen in admiration for Lucy and Natsu, he looked at the blonde and realized that he really only knew about an ounce of who she really was or what she was capable of.

* * *

**Erza, Natsu, and Lucy…**

Erza tried to pick herself up. It felt like she had slept in her armor for weeks without taking it off as her arms and legs shook beneath her. Her ears were ringing and even her eyes hurt from the light of the explosion that took place. From what she could gather, Lucy and Natsu were both still in the fight, even though Lupus had gone back to the celestial realm to save Lucy's strength.

Once she finally managed to get on her feet, the scarlet haired mage looked up to see Natsu standing between her and Lucy with Mira behind them—out of the picture. Erza watched as Lucy tried to steady her breath on her hands and knees and the woman felt a swell of pride in her chest that Lucy had grown so much. She could tell that she was in worse shape than Natsu, because of the combo attack that the two teammates had cast, but she wasn't going to back down. She was going to make Natsu and Lucy work for an S-Class title until the very end because that is what best friends do—they push you to be the best version of yourself.

"So it looks like it is just us now," Erza said with a smile as she requipped into her Flame Empress Armor and readied her Sea Empress sword to help defend herself against Natsu's attacks. The Scarlet haired mage would leave Lucy be for now, because she knew if she went after her—it would just frustrate Natsu and make him even more powerful. Natsu would defend Lucy until he had no more strength.

"Let's go, Titania," Natsu jeered as he slapped one of his fists into the palm of his other hand.

Erza smirked before she dove towards her opponent just as Natsu went into Lightning Fire Dragon Mode. In response to Natsu's dual magic, Erza equipped her Lightning Spear to help deflect the lightning, in addition to her Sea Empress sword taking the bulk of the fire magic.

To her surprise, Natsu was not charging towards her like he normally would and just as she was about to attack him, immense flames shot off of his body so powerful that her eyes closed for a brief second and she jumped back instead of pursuing and following through on her initial attack; however, to her surprise…this was the beginning of her downfall.

In her hesitation, Natsu took advantage and hit her smack in the chest with his Lightning Fire Dragon's Iron Fist and shattered her armor into a million pieces just as he whispered in her ear, "Imagine if Jellal could see you right now—naked."

"W-WHAT!?" Erza screamed as her naked body stood there holding her Sea Empress sword and Lightning Spear, "J-JELLAL!?"

The sudden shock and embarrassment Erza was feeling gave Natsu the upper hand as he got behind her and yelled, "LUCE, ROLL TO YOUR RIGHT!"

Erza blinked in confusion, but was too late when Natsu yelled, "Raienryū no Hōkō!"

"Ahhhhhhh!" Erza screamed as she quickly requipped into her Flight Armor, and dodged some of Natsu's attack. However, she couldn't escape enough of it as her body took a lot of damage from Natsu's roar.

He gave her no time to readjust as he jumped above her and yelled, "Raienryū no Gekitetsu!"

Erza took the attack full on and fell to her knees from the impact after she equipped into her Adamantine Armor. Then to her surprise, that armor shattered too.

"How could you shatter two of my armors," Erza whispered in confusion.

"I've been fighting a damn dragon for an entire month," Natsu grinned, "Cana only stood a chance because she could incorporate Gajeel's magic. Anything less than a dragon now, hardly stands a chance."

"Then I just can't let you hit me," Erza stated as she changed into her Clear Heart Clothing and equipped her katanas.

Natsu just grinned and replied, "I was hoping you would do that," then he began to heat the ground around the two of them and when Erza tried to jump out of the heated circle to protect her feet from getting scorched, he dove towards her and dragged her back inside the circle of heat he was making so that he did not hurt Lucy or Mira. "I don't think so!" he called out to her.

Erza was flung back onto the burning hot ground and she knew that the next attack would be her last. She positioned herself on the ground where her feet were burning and focused the rest of her magical energy into equipping her Demon Blade Crimson Sakura for one final assault against Natsu.

As she charged at him with her crimson blade glowing in the light of the fading sun, she held a smile on her face at her pride of Natsu and Lucy coming so far and Natsu finally defeating her in battle. She lunged in the air and was diving towards Natsu with her blade ready, just as Natsu looked up with a smile of joy before he put his hands up to his mouth and said, "Karyū no Hōkō!"

Lucy felt tears of joy and relief fall down her cheeks as she watched Natsu defeat Erza and the scarlet haired mage fell to the ground in defeat. The Fire Dragon Slayer looked at her before he fell to his knees and roared up into the sky, "WE DID IT!"

The screen above the maze lit up one last time reading; Natsu & Lucy vs Erza; victors Natsu & Lucy.

Then as though they knew it was finally ok to rest, the two partners collapsed next to Erza and Mira and fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

**Few Hours later…**

Wendy walked around the clearing checking on everyone and healing their injuries, because they still had one more trial to face them tomorrow and Master Makarov decided to show pity on his children, before the blue haired girl dismissed herself to head back to the beach with the rest of Fairy Tail.

Laxus and Gildarts were handing out bowls of stew and bread to everyone, except for Natsu and Lucy who were still passed out in their tents, just as Erza stated, "Well I think we can all agree that Natsu and Lucy are on a different level."

"Hey!" Gajeel called out towards the red head, accidently eating his spoon in the process, "My girlfriend beat Flame Breath!"

"Yeah," Cana agreed with a wink before she took a swig of rum.

"Still," Juvia spoke up, "Together, Natsu-san and Lucy-san are pretty unstoppable."

Mira agreed with a faint smile, "Well they sure kicked my ass."

Freed put his hand on Mira's leg and gave her a consoling smile before he stated, "Well Natsu kicked mine too."

Mira touched his cheek with the palm of her hand before she gave him a gentle kiss.

"FOOD," everyone turned around as Natsu and Lucy finally emerged from their tents—stomachs both growling in the process.

Laxus looked at Lucy and smiled as the sleepy blonde stumbled over to the log seats and sat down in-between Erza and Gray. Natsu just went near the fire and took a swipe out of it to eat a few flames.

"Natsu," Gildarts laughed, "We will get you some food, hang on."

Laxus handed Gildarts a bowl of the stew and a whole loaf of bread, because he knew Natsu would need it as he carried over some bread and stew to Lucy. The woman he had come to adore sleepily blinked at him before she smiled and said, "Thanks Laxus."

"Anytime, Blondie," he replied.

After he got some stew for himself, he took a seat next to Freed and Gildarts and everyone just chatted and talked about the impressive battles that took place that day. Natsu and Lucy were both so tired that all they could do was eat and smile at everyone's praise. Lucy was just glad that things were somewhat going back to normal between everyone. Juvia and Gray seemed to be on friendly speaking terms now; however, Juvia still remained unfazed by Gray. Levy no longer seemed pissed—or if she was, she was hiding her anger. She was still quiet, but heartbreak just took time to heal. Cana and Gajeel, besides Gajeel's comment about Cana beating Natsu, were being more respectful about their PDA in front of everyone as to not and hurt Levy.

"So Gramps," Gray spoke up, "Can you tell us what the plan is tomorrow?"

"Or what the score is now?" Gajeel asked with a grin.

"I think it's obvious on which team is in the lead," Freed chimed in.

"The points system yesterday didn't make any fucking sense anyways," Cana reminded everyone.

Everyone nodded their head in agreement before Gajeel asked, "I just want to know what I have to do tomorrow to catch up."

Master Makarov took a bite of his bread before he said, "In regards to tomorrow, my only input is to make sure that you rest well tonight." Everyone waited for him to continue before he took a swig of beer and added, "The points today are: Lucy and Natsu 10 peach points, Gray and Levy 10 dragon fruit points, Gajeel and Cana 10 banana points, and Freed and Juvia have 10 strawberry points. Oh and Lucy and Cana each received a coconut point yesterday."

"See, I told you it made no sense," Cana stated again to Gajeel.

"One more coconut point for you!" Makarov declared as he pointed at Cana.

"Yay?!" Cana responded with a voice of uncertainty.

Laxus looked over at Lucy who had now finished her stew as was beginning to lean on Erza, with her eyes closing again from exhaustion. He took a deep breath because tomorrow would be a big day for all of them.

He could see Freed studying him out of his peripherals before his best friend asked, "Laxus, is everything ok?"

The Dragon Slayer nodded and stated, "I hope so."

* * *

Lucy awoke just before dawn in her tent. She couldn't hear anything except for Natsu lightly snoring on the other side of the tent. Her body still ached a little from yesterday as she gathered her energy to sit up in her sleeping bag. She stuck her tongue out and smacked her lips together. Her breath was terrible. She looked down and saw that she was still in her clothes from yesterday. Everything reeked; her, Natsu, their clothes, their sleeping bags, everything.

She quietly stood up so as to not wake her friend so that she could grab a pair of clean clothes, a towel, and her toiletry bag, so that she could go to the hot spring and was off. She figured she might get dirty again today, but she really needed to wash off the grime from yesterday's events. She couldn't believe how much magical energy she had used before her body said no more. She still felt like she could sleep another twelve hours, but she knew that she didn't have another twelve.

As she exited the tent and made her way to the hot spring, she gasped loudly just as a blonde Dragon Slayer whispered, "Hey Blondie."

"Laxus!" Lucy whispered in a loudly, "What are you doing up so early and near the girls' hot spring."

Her eyes were still trying to adjust as she squinted and saw that he was in athletic shorts and no shirt with his headphones and sneakers on. "Ummm, running," Laxus commented, what about you?"

"I hadn't bathed since the day before yesterday. I feel gross," Lucy admitted.

Laxus couldn't help but chuckle before he teased, "I wondered at what that smell was."

"Baka," Lucy grumbled as she tossed her pink towel at his face.

When he pulled the towel away, she knew she was in trouble when he had a lecherous grin on and he asked in a husky tone, "Well everyone else is still asleep. Do you need any help in the hot spring? You look like you need your muscles worked out."

Her face heated up and turned redder than Erza's hair before she whispered out, "N-No! B-Baka!"

Laxus couldn't help but chuckle as Lucy took her towel back and punched him in the arm before she continued her walk towards the hot spring. That man drove her crazy.

* * *

It was nearing 7 a.m. when Lucy made it back to the campsite and saw that everyone else was starting to get around. It looked like Natsu had went and bathed too, much to her delight, as he let a towel hang off of his head while he scarfed down the breakfast that Mira had made for everyone. Lucy was glad that Natsu picked up some healthy habits after living with her for a month, like bathing every day.

As Lucy grabbed some porridge and fruit from Mira, after she put her things back in her tent, Makarov spoke up, "Well brats today is your final day of S-Class exams. Tonight, after arriving back at our guild, I will announce the results. The rest of us will start heading back now while the contestants and the current S-Class mages stay behind for the final test."

Everyone remained silent as Lucy took a seat by Natsu before Makarov continued, "Each of you will face the four S-Class Mages, not necessarily for battle, but for a trial. They will report back to me the results."

Everyone looked at each other in confusion and Makarov didn't stick around to hear any questions as he disappeared into the jungle.

"Wait. What?" Cana asked.

Then Gildarts spoke up before he handed his daughter a map and said, "Each of you will meet us here, alone. The order you will join us is this; Gray, Levy, Gajeel, Cana, Juvia, Freed, Natsu, and Lucy. Gray, you need to meet us there in 30 minutes at 7:30—Levy, be there at 8:00. Everyone will be in 30 minute increments."

Then before anyone else could ask questions, the four S-Class Mages disappeared into the jungle—leaving everyone in a state on confusion.

"What the hell?" Cana grumbled, "What do we even bring?"

"Probably your cards," Gray tried to help.

"No shit," Cana retorted.

"Freed-sama, what do you think?" Juvia asked.

Everyone looked at the Rune Mage who was in deep concentration before he admitted, "I am not sure. Master said that it wasn't necessarily a fight, but for a trial. It sounds like some of us might fight and others not."

"I hope I don't have to fight," Levy sweatdropped.

Gray couldn't help but laugh at his partner before he admitted, "I hope I do, I haven't beaten anyone yet—it sucks."

"Do you think there was any special order?" Lucy asked Freed.

The green haired man contemplated the question a bit before he admitted, "I do not wish to offend anyone with what I am about to say, but I noticed Lucy is last—she is the only one who has more or less not been defeated thus far."

"Fuck you, Lucy," Cana laughed.

Lucy looked nervously at everyone with a sheepish grin before she admitted, "Well, Freed…you technically beat me on the test."

Freed shrugged his shoulders before he replied, "Ok, so you've pretty much been at the top of the pack the whole time."

To that Lucy had no come back before she looked at Gray with an apologetic face. Instead the Ice-Make Mage took a deep breath and said, "All right, let me see this map."

"Good luck, man," Natsu called out to his friend.

Gray just nodded as he walked past everyone, before he handed the map to Levy, and disappeared into the jungle.

* * *

Everyone remained at the campsite and about twenty minutes later, Levy left to have her turn against the S-Class Mages.

Twenty minutes later, Gray reappeared in the clearing looking completely unharmed. Natsu was the first one to jump up and ask, "GRAY, WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?!"

The Ice-Make Mage looked very somber before he turned to Juvia and said, "Hey, Juvia, can I have a word alone?"

The Water Woman blinked before she stood up and said, "Of course, Gray-san."

Everyone grew quiet again as Gray and Juvia disappeared off by themselves. Lucy and Natsu looked at each other and the blonde took a large breath, because the wait seemed to have everyone on edge, before Natsu sat back down next to her.

* * *

After another ten minutes went by, Gajeel gave Cana a kiss on the cheek before he disappeared in the direction to meet the S-Class mages, just as Gray and Juvia came back to the clearing. Natsu didn't ask Gray again what had happened as the Ice-Make Mage began to unpack his and Levy's tent and disassemble everything.

* * *

Another twenty minutes went by before Levy emerged, covered in scrapes and bruises from head to foot. The bluenette remained quiet and immediately went over to help her partner cleaning up their area before they both grabbed their bags and headed into the jungle towards the direction of the beach.

"What the fuck is going on?" Cana whispered, "Gray looked unscathed and Levy looked like she had been dragged through hell and back."

"Plus, they are so quiet," Lucy pointed out.

"Perhaps Gray did not have to fight and Levy did," Freed added in.

Lucy looked over at Cana who was starting to look more nervous. She remembered the last time they were all here together and how desperately Cana wanted to prove herself to her father, who didn't even know at the time that he was her father. The fact that Cana would face him soon probably made her extremely nervous.

"You'll do fine," Lucy whispered in Cana's direction.

The brunette looked up at Lucy and gave her a faint smile before she stood up and said, "Guess I better go face all of them now too. Thank god Mystogan is in Edolas, otherwise we all would be facing five of them instead of four."

Everyone gave her a faint smile before the Card Mage disappeared into the jungle as well.

* * *

Lucy watched as everyone had the same effect as they returned. Gajeel had no battle wounds and began unpacking his and Cana's tent. Cana came back without saying anything; however, she looked like she had been in a cat fight with a large gash on her forehead that Gajeel bandaged up for her. Neither of them spoke to each other, but both had a lot of love in their eyes. Then Juvia came back, completely unscathed, followed by Freed who had lost his red coat and looked quite disheveled for the Rune Mage.

Finally it was just Lucy sitting in the clearing alone. Natsu had gone off, and everyone else had disappeared to God knows where. It was finally her time to start heading towards where she was supposed to meet the S-Class Mages.

She finally reached the edge of a dark cave that was sealed shut and looked down at the time. It was still two minutes until 11, so she supposed that Natsu must still be inside even though she could not hear anything.

The last two minutes seemed to take forever before the stone in front of the cave rolled back and Natsu emerged, also looking unharmed. He gave her a small smile before he touched her shoulder and then walked past her back towards the camp.

She took a deep breath and whispered, "Well, here goes nothing," before she entered the cave.

As she walked through the entrance of the cave, the walls were illuminated with strange flowers to light her path. She could hear her footsteps echo off of the cave walls and after she had walked a few yards, Master Mavis appeared before her. The First Master smiled at her warmly and said, "Lucy, I am not surprised at all that you are the final contestant of the day."

Lucy blinked in surprise as Mavis continued, "Ahead you will face many emotions and challenges. Not just during these exams, but in life. I have no doubt that you will continue to make Fairy Tail proud."

"Thank you, Master Mavis," Lucy replied quietly and with a smile.

Mavis nodded her head before she stepped aside and pointed for Lucy to continue on. As Lucy walked by the First Master, the spectral woman whispered, "And remember to always follow your heart."

Lucy turned to look at the First Master then took a deep breath when she realized the ghost-like woman had already vanished. She looked forward again and took a steady breath before she continued on her way.

After another minute, Lucy finally saw more light ahead. The room she stepped into looked was large and had vines and more of the illuminous flowers all of the walls. The ceiling reached way up with the same vines and flowers everywhere. It was actually quite lovely; however, surrounding her were the four S-Class Mages. Gildarts and Erza to her front and Mira and Laxus to her side.

Erza and Mira gave her a warm smiles before Gildarts spoke, "Well, I will be the first to say how pleasantly surprised I am by your growth these past few months."

"Thank you," Lucy replied nervously.

Erza then spoke up and said, "Lucy, as one of your teammates, I can honestly see how far you have really come. Ever since our first mission together with Lullaby, you have grown into a confident woman that has kicked everyone's butt in this competition, physically, so far."

"Not only have you grown yourself," Mira added in, "But you have grown those around you. Natsu has matured and become a fine young man under your friendship."

"So now we have to ask you before the battle begins," Laxus stated grimly.

Lucy looked at him and noticed that he could not look at her before Erza asked, "What do you think your biggest weakness is or what is your greatest strength?"

She thought about the question for a moment, it reminded her of being in an interview, before she cleared her throat and answered, "I think my biggest weakness is also my strength."

"How so?" Gildarts asked with curiosity.

"I always try to see the best in people, even if sometimes they don't deserve it," Lucy admitted quietly before her voice grew louder and more confident, "But without that faith in others, I would be strong magically. My magic actually requires me to have faith in someone else and the more I believe in them, and the closer I become with each of them, they become stronger too."

Thinking about everything she and her spirits had been through together, made her want to cry. When she felt utterly alone after running away from home and after the Grand Magic Games, they were really all she had. Instead she cleared her throat and tried to fight back the tears before she continued, "It was really hard to stay positive about myself when I kept losing during the Grand Magic Games. I felt like my team always had to save me. Then when they left, all I had were my spirits really—even though I was a part of a guild that I saw almost every day. Then I went on that mission with Orga, I started having visions about how worthless I was and it wasn't until I saw a vision of my mother that I snapped out of it and realized that it was my turn to save everyone. So I got stronger, with the help of my friends. I think I will always see the best in others, but I believe I have matured enough to not take everyone at face value. Not everyone deserves all of me, but for those that do—I would walk around all of Earthland for them."

Gildarts, Mira, and Erza all seemed satisfied with that response and she saw that Erza and Mira both wiped away tears before Gildarts cleared his throat and said, "Lucy, I think that is a very mature response and the fact that you recognize how you once were and how you've changed shows how not only physically far you have come, but emotionally. I am glad my daughter has such a good friend."

"Thank you, Gildarts," Lucy smiled bashfully.

Then Erza looked at her and said, "Well, you've faced Gildarts, Mira, and myself—all that is left is Laxus."

Lucy felt her heart jump in excited nerves. She was so ready for this. She had trained so long and hard against Orga that she was curious as to how Laxus's style differed. Then when she turned to Laxus with a smile, her smile immediately vanished when she saw the giant scowl on his face. His body language radiated agitation as his arms remained crossed and a deep furrow on his brows.

The Lightning Dragon Slayer looked over at Gildarts, Erza, and Mira, as though expecting them to call it off; however, the three mages just moved out of the way to watch the battle. Lucy gulped a little before she readied her keys to face off against Laxus.

She felt like she was breathing too loud and wasn't sure what to do, because he hadn't moved a muscle. He looked pissed at the entire world. It actually reminded her of when she first joined the guild and he used to sit on the second floor away from everyone.

Lucy looked hesitantly over at Erza who was still smiling and gave her a brisk nod. Lucy gulped before she looked back at Laxus and tried to say, "Good luck! I look forward to battling against you."

When he didn't respond, it made her even more nervous before Gildarts yelled, "Begin!"

Laxus didn't move, but Lucy didn't hesitate as she summoned out Capricorn, Loke, Lynx, and Aries. "Aries now!" Lucy commanded.

"Wool Bomb!" Aries cried out just as Capricorn went for Laxus's legs and Loke and Lynx went for the top.

Lucy barely saw Laxus use his lightning to teleport somewhere else in the cave. The wool was keeping Lucy and her spirits hidden from Laxus, and she swore under her breath because she knew he would be able to tell exactly where she was, so she summoned out Canes Venatici. She knew Laxus would smell them too, just as Capricorn, Loke, and Lynx made their way back to her.

"I need you to point him out," Lucy whispered.

The dogs nodded to behind her, just as Loke and Lynx dove that way. Lucy swore when she heard Laxus teleport somewhere else and Canes Venatici immediately pointed him out again and this time Capricorn and Aries went for him.

Then as soon as they left, Canes Venatici pointed to a different area and Loke sighed in frustration, "Is he fucking with us?"

Lucy wasn't going to let it bother her, for all she knew this trial was to test her patience—or to see if she could catch him. So she decided on a new strategy and sent everyone back and asked Aries to make her wool disappear. As soon as the pink clouds vanished, she saw Laxus with the same expression on her face and she faced him before she asked, "Are you wanting to play tag?"

He blinked in surprise without saying anything before she grabbed the lacrima around her neck and teleported her body into black lightning and came at him so fast that it knocked him back on his ass.

Once she materialized into her normal self, she caught her breath and sent her leg flying directly towards the side of his head. However, he sent his arm up to block her Lucy Kick and when she immediately changed her fighting direction, he once again materialized away from her to the other side of the room—with an even angrier look on his face.

She was about to use Orga's magic again, but stopped when she noticed the scowls at Laxus on Erza's, Mira's, and even Gildarts's face.

"Laxus!" Gildarts spoke up, "Our job was to get them to reflect, fight them, or both. Stop dancing around and fight her."

Lucy felt a twinge of sadness in her chest at Gildarts's words towards Laxus. Was he really avoiding a fight with her?

Instead of dwelling on it, she used Orga's magic once more and went straight for him. When he materialized into lightning, to avoid her, she kept Orga's magic working around her and continued to pursue him.

She had no idea how long she was in lightning state as she chased Laxus around the cave before Erza screamed, "LAXUS! ENOUGH!"

Lucy saw that Laxus transformed back into himself and she landed next to thim. She could tell that he was in for another lecture from the S-Class mages, but something inside of her had snapped. Her arms were shaking and tears were in her eyes before she turned around and screamed, "LUCY KICK!"

Then when he blocked the kick, it made her even angrier as she tried to round-house kick him and then punch him. However, he blocked those attacks too.

Anger and pain was radiating off of her when her brown eyes locked onto his sad ones and she asked in a shaky voice, "Is it true?"

"Is what true?" Laxus sighed.

"You won't fight me? You are just dodging me?" Lucy asked in anger.

When he didn't respond, she knew she was just done. Done with this, done with the exams, before she stated, "Fuck off," and walked out of the cave.


	67. Chapter 67

Natsu had already packed their things and the tent up and was waiting on one of the logs for Lucy. He had been in a deep thought when he had first heard Lucy stomping back towards the camp. He could smell anger, sadness, and a whole mix of emotions coming off of her as she emerged, without a scratch and looked at him.

The blonde's bottom lip quivered before she yelled, "Natsu! He! They said! He wouldn't!"

Then before he knew it, she was in his arms crying hysterically. All she kept repeating was, "I'm so mad!"

They weren't supposed to talk about their experiences in the cave until all of the mages had gone through the final trial, but even if Lucy hadn't, he wasn't going to just sit here while his best friend wailed in misery.

"Luce, look at me," Natsu pleaded, "What's wrong? What happened?"

The blonde sat back on her legs and tried to calm down. She was hyperventilating a little when she admitted, "They asked me some questions and then they said I had to fight Laxus."

Natsu wasn't surprised. He didn't have to fight anyone but was questioned about a lot of things, mostly about the recent changes he had gone through after the month of living with Lucy. He wasn't sure what had her so worked up until he asked, "Did you lose to him?"

"NO!" Lucy screamed out, "HE, THAT BASTARD, WOULDN'T EVEN FIGHT ME!"

He blinked in confusion before he asked, "Huh?"

"HE WOULDN'T FIGHT ME! HE JUST KEPT DANCING AROUND—AVOIDING ME!" Lucy clarified, "THEN I LOST MY TEMPER AND TOLD HIM TO FUCK OFF AND LEFT!"

Natsu felt overwhelmed for a minute by the news and all of Lucy's emotions, and if he was being honest with himself—his own too. He hated seeing Lucy cry. He took a deep and steady breath before he asked, "What can I do?"

"I-I don't know," Lucy sobbed, "What if I don't pass now because of this?"

"Because you lost your temper?" Natsu asked as he leaned away a bit to get a look at his friend.

Her chocolate brown eyes looked up at him before she nodded. He actually couldn't keep the laugh back before he stated, "Luce, if the S-Class Trials depended on people losing their tempers or not, then Gray, Gajeel, myself—hell even Cana, wouldn't even be allowed to participate."

Lucy couldn't help but laugh a little as she wiped away a few tears before Natsu added, "We are a guild full of hot heads! Plus, you don't blow up often. When you do, it is usually at me and Happy because we got on your last nerves and ate all of our food. I'm sure Gramps will take that into consideration."

"Thanks Natsu," Lucy replied, not entirely convinced, "But what do I do now?"

Natsu thought about that for a minute before he asked, "Do you want to go back there and see if he will let you fight?"

Lucy shook her head no as more tears from her face, "I'm so mad and upset at him. He should know better. I'd rather wait. I just…I just can't right now"

"Do you want me to go fight him?" Natsu laughed.

"That might make me feel better," Lucy admitted, "Watch someone kick the shit out of him."

"Well, if I know Erza and Mira…they are doing that for you right now," Natsu stated. He had been on the receiving end of an Erza and Mira chastising plenty of times, he'd love to be on the viewing end for once. He couldn't believe that Laxus would just do that to Lucy though. He hoped for her sake, and Laxus's, that there was more to the story that Lucy just didn't know yet.

* * *

The two friends sat there another moment until Lucy felt like she was calmed down enough to head back to the boat. After she nodded her head that she was ready, Natsu handed her back and reassured her, "If you seriously don't get S-Class because of Laxus being a prick, then I'm not sure I'd want the title either."

Lucy just nodded and let Natsu lead her to the shore. She just wanted to go home, lock herself in her apartment and not come out.

* * *

It took them about twenty minutes before they reached the shore and saw the small ship waiting for them. Everyone else, except for the S-Class mages were on the ship and ready to go. Lucy felt sick because she knew that everyone was probably going to ask him how they did and she really didn't want to talk about it at all.

After they boarded the ship with their things, Gray came up to them first and asked, "So how did you guys do? Just talk or have to talk and fight?"

"Just talk for me," Natsu stated then quickly said, "Hey Luce, want to give me a hand with storing the tent with everyone else's?"

"Yeah," Lucy replied quietly because everyone else was starting to come their way too—probably to ask the same thing that Gray did.

"I'll help you guys and you can tell me about your last trial," Gray stated.

Lucy felt a twinge of guilt, because she didn't want to talk right now. Then everyone froze when they heard a booming thunder in the distance.

"What the hell is that?" Gajeel asked as everyone turned to look at the island. The sound was coming from where they all had gone to do their final exam.

"It sounds like Laxus," Freed admitted with concern lacing his voice.

The sky above the island began to turn dark and dangerous looking as monstrous clouds rolled in from the distance. Juvia looked at Freed and asked, "Do you think Laxus-sama is ok?"

"I'm not sure," Freed stated, "Everyone except the S-Class Mages are back on the boat."

"Do you guys think there is some trouble? Should we go back?" Levy asked in concern for their nakama.

Then to everyone's surprise, Gildarts, Mira, and Erza all emerged from the jungle with scowls on their faces and a giant streak of lightning ripped through the sky as though it were trying to tear the world in two.

"Woah, Dad looks pissed," Cana stated.

Natsu snorted and whispered to Lucy, "And look who isn't with them."

The blonde looked up at the sky and realized that it must have been Laxus leaving that caused all that lightning. When Erza stepped on the boat, she looked straight at Lucy and started to walk towards her. Lucy could faintly hear everyone asking Mira and Gildarts as to where Laxus was, but Lucy was still so angry with the man that she was glad that he wasn't here. Otherwise, she might and try and finish their fight right then and there on the boat—or call Aquarius out in a fit of anger and accidently sink the boat.

"Lucy, can I have a word?" Erza asked her.

"Are you going to tell her that she's not going to get S-Class because of what Laxus did?" Natsu asked in a brisk tone with his arms crossed.

"Wait, what now?" Gray asked in a hushed voice because he didn't want the whole boat to know about something that was starting to visibly upset Lucy.

Erza looked at them all and motioned for them to follow her towards the cabin where they had their supplies stored. The three mages followed Erza and once the door was shut, Erza asked Lucy, "I presume that you told them about Laxus's behavior?"

Gray looked confused before Lucy answered, "I only got the chance to tell Natsu."

"Tell Natsu what?" Gray asked, losing his clothes somewhere in the process.

Lucy took a deep breath, because she really didn't want to keep reliving it. Instead Erza asked, "Lucy, may I?"

"Sure," she whispered back.

Erza turned to Gray and stated, "Lucy's trial was conversation with all of us and then a battle against Laxus. She had already beaten Gildarts and helped with defeating Mira and me—so Master stated that she and Laxus needed to try and fight."

Gray looked at everyone, because it seemed logical enough to him before he asked, "Ok, so what the hell happened?"

"He refused to fight her," Natsu scoffed.

"Why?" Gray asked.

Erza shrugged her shoulders and shook her head in disbelief before she continued, "That is what we were trying to figure out after Lucy left."

"You walked out?" Gray asked Lucy in disbelief.

When Lucy didn't respond, because she couldn't believe she let her anger get the best of her, Erza added, "Absolutely none of us blame her. Mira was ready to tear Laxus to shreds herself after Lucy left and that is what the three of us are going to go back and report to Master. We do not believe you should be disqualified. If Laxus could not fight you, then he should have told his Grandfather that when he picked the test in the first place."

Lucy felt a little relief wash over her at Erza's words, but before she could thank her friend, Natsu asked, "So where the hell is Laxus and did he say why he wouldn't fight her?"

"He wouldn't answer any of us until he said he would meet us back at the guild tonight," Erza replied, "Then he teleported into lightning and just left with that storm."

"What the fuck…" Gray sighed out, "He gave no reason for not fighting her? He fought Juvia and that one would hurt a lot more since Juvia is actually made of water!"

Erza nodded in agreement before she said, "He also fought Levy, Cana, and Freed today. However, with those battles, there were other participants. Lucy was the only one that was one on one, but that is because she had already beaten everyone else."

"I don't know, that's just fucked up," Gray stated, "Lucy has worked her ass off."

"I know that Gray, which is why I won't let her get disqualified," Erza stated sternly.

Natsu elbowed Lucy gently so that she would snap out of her depressing thoughts and said, "See, everything will be ok. Gramps won't disqualify you for his actions."

"I know," Lucy sighed, "But my actions weren't good either."

"In what way?" Gray asked.

"I told him to fuck off," Lucy admitted, "Before I stormed out."

Gray looked at Natsu who just shrugged his shoulders, before Gray laughed a little and asked, "Is that all?"

"Well that's a big deal to me!" Lucy stated in her defense.

"Jesus, Lucy…if that's all you did then you have nothing to worry about," Gray laughed.

"But…" Lucy tried to say.

"Have you destroyed our Guild Hall ever?" Gray asked.

"Well no, but…" Lucy tried to answer.

"Is it you specifically that the Rune Knights always call and complain about to Gramps?" Natsu asked with a smile.

Lucy smiled back a little, because she saw what her two friends were trying to do, "Well no."

"Do you start fights at the guild on a regular basis and destroy the furniture?" Erza asked with a smile.

"No," Lucy stated with a laugh.

"Then you have nothing to worry about," Gray teased.

"Ok," Lucy replied with a smile, "I am so ready to be home though."

Everyone nodded in agreement as they secured everyone's tents and supplies before going back out to join the rest of Fairy Tail on the boat ride home. In a few hours, Lucy would be home and in her own bath. She smiled at her guild mates because everyone seemed more relaxed now, except for Freed who was worried about Laxus. In a few hours, they would all know if they had succeeded in becoming the newest S-Class Mage.

* * *

It was a little after 5 p.m. once Lucy and the other mages arrived back in Magnolia. Everyone was very eager to get home, so they used up lots of magical energy on getting the boat to Hargeon as quickly as possible—followed by fast magical vehicle ride homes.

Natsu was walking her to her apartment before he went to go meet up with Happy at their house and said, "So Luce, do you want us to come pick you up at 6:45 p.m.? Then Happy, you, and I can all go together."

"I'd like that Natsu," Lucy replied with a smile, "It will be nice to see Happy again."

"I know! I'm pretty excited. I think he and I are going to go finishing for a couple of days, starting tomorrow," Natsu stated.

Lucy looked up at the snowy sky, but she supposed Ice Fishing would be no problem for Natsu. Next week was Christmas and Lucy couldn't wait. "Will you guys be back for Christmas?" Lucy asked.

"Definitely," Natsu grinned, "We should talk to Erza, Gray, Wendy, and Carla about what we should all do.

"I can have everyone over. It's no problem," Lucy stated as they finally made it to her front door.

Then Natsu waved goodbye as he ran towards his house to go see Happy. Lucy took a deep breath and soaked in the crisp winter air before she headed up to her apartment to take a long and relaxing bath. After tonight, so many things in her life would be completely different.

* * *

**One Hour Later…**

Lucy sat on the edge of her bed with Aries and Andromeda as Virgo held up several dress choices. She felt so nervous, but excited about the evening. She had vented to the girls in the bathroom while she got ready about what Laxus had done and expressed her nerves about the S-Class results and seeing both men tonight and telling them her choice. Andromeda told her to not let what Laxus did worry her. Chances are was that he had an explanation for his behavior.

Lucy agreed with her friend's observation. Laxus had a good heart, he just still struggled with his own feelings from time to time and that was ok. She was much calmer now about what he had done,-if Andromeda was right and there was a good explanation. However, she still needed to talk about it with him and let him know how it made her feel.

"What if you narrow down the color first?" Andromeda asked Lucy, breaking her out of her deep thoughts.

"That's a good idea," Lucy admitted.

"Pink or blue is your classic look," Aries chimed in.

"True," Andromeda agreed before the spirit stated, "But she might become S-Class tonight so she should have a bold new look!"

"I like that idea," Aries added in with a smile, "What about that black or red one?"

"I think Hime-sama should wear this one!" Virgo stated as she held up the most beautiful red lace dress Lucy had ever seen.

It was a short A-Line dress with cap sleeves. Across the chest had a sheer see-through lace on top of a satin sweetheart neckline. It would accentuate her cleavage, but keeping her modest for the wintery season. The back of the dress was just as breathtaking, but had an open circle on her back to expose some skin.

"Honestly Virgo, I love it," Lucy grinned, "What stockings and shoes should I wear with them?"

"I think those black stockings and black pumps," Andromeda pointed to the many hosiery and shoes that Virgo had laid out, "It would give off an extremely elegant look."

After all the women came into agreement, Cancer came out to perfect Lucy. After some tips from the women spirits, Cancer put Lucy's hair up into a cute, yet elegant, side bun up-do. He finished it off with a few holly berries before he finished off her makeup with dark smoky eyes and a red-lipstick that matched her dress perfectly.

"You look lovely," Andromeda stated after she gave Lucy's shoulders a slight squeeze, "No matter which man you choose, he will think you are breathtaking."

Lucy gave her spirit a wicked grin and stated, "Like you guys don't already know."

Andromeda smiled back at her in the mirror and admitted, "We could feel the clarity of your choice after the mediation. We are all very happy for you."

"Thank you," Lucy replied, "It really means a lot to me that you all support my decision."

"We do," Virgo stated with a smile, "Now, good luck tonight!"

"Thank you!" Lucy stated just as there was a knock at her door.

The blonde quickly jumped up before she thanked all of her spirits one last time before she ran over to the door to greet Natsu and Happy. After she had secured her keys on her upper thigh, under her dress, she opened the door to a blue cat yelling, "LUCY! I MISSED YOU!"

The furry Exceed dove into her chest happily and Lucy couldn't help but laugh because she had missed the foul mouthed creature. Then her eyes widened when Natsu walked in wearing black dress slacks, a white button up shirt with a dark charcoal vest and red tie. He seemed frustrated with the tie before he said, "Virgo said we should match because we are partners."

Lucy couldn't help but laugh, because of course Virgo would organize Natsu's wardrobe as well. Then Happy added in, "Me too!" The blonde noticed that Happy was wearing a little tuxedo with red bow tie as well.

"Well I think you both look very handsome," Lucy stated before she grabbed her coat. Together they walked out her apartment and locked the door behind them.

Natsu and Lucy listened to Happy tell them about everything that had happened at the guild while they were gone. Apparently he, Erza, Wendy, and Carla did several small missions together to keep everyone's income still going. Then he told them about this lovely tasting fish that he got at a fancy restaurant in Crocus. Everyone seemed to have had a fun time while the contestants were all off training. However, Happy also informed her about how Natsu said that they needed to clean up their house before they went on their fishing trip. Happy thought it was terrible, but Natsu said that they needed to start being cleaner and acting more mature. Lucy couldn't help but laugh at the banter between Natsu and Happy.

Once they got closer to the guild, they all awed at the lights that were strung up everyone. Even Lucy could hear the music playing and people laughing already—it was time to party.

"Ready?" Natsu asked her with a grin.

"Ready," Lucy stated with a firm smile as the three teammates entered the guild together.

"NATSU! LUCY!" everyone began to call out to them.

"LUCY YOU HAVE A DRAGON! NATSU, YOU DEFEATED ERZA!" were shouts that Lucy could barely make out over the crowd and ruckus that was already going on.

The friends soon spotted Erza and Gray who were at their usual table, surrounded by members of Lamia Scale and Mermaid Heel. Lucy felt her heart skip a beat as she looked around for any members of Sabertooth, but much to her disappointment, she didn't see any yet as she put her coat behind the bar for safe keeping.

Then Lucy felt like her heart had stopped when she saw Freed walk out of Laxus's office with a frown on his face. The blonde excused herself from her friends who were about to order a round of drinks as she made her way over to the staircase to Freed. The Rune Mage looked deep in thought when Lucy stopped him and asked, "Freed, is Laxus up there?"

He didn't respond verbally, but just gave a nod with his head as she tore past him and ran up the stairs to confront the man that would not fight her.

She could hear her heartbeat in her ears as she stood outside of Laxus's office. She hoped that things could be cleared up, because she really didn't want to cry and ruin her make-up before the revelation of the newest S-Class Mage. She took a deep breath and before she could knock on the door, it opened for her and Laxus stood there in dark grey dress slacks and a light blue collared shirt, slightly unbuttoned at the top.

She couldn't help but gulp at the site of him before she asked, "Hey, can we talk?"

She could see sadness in his eyes as he nodded and stepped aside to let her in before he closed the door.

* * *

**Orga's PoV...**

"OH MY GOD! THIS IS GOING TO BE SO MUCH FUN!" Sting cried out as the Sabertooth Members stood outside of the Fairy Tail guild.

"I can't wait to see Aunt Lucy!" Eve stated excitedly as she danced around Frosch and Lector.

All of the Sabertooth members went all out in their attire, Orga knew that Lucy would fawn all over Eve in her elegant dark green dress and sequin black ballet flats. Orga himself was in a pair of black dress pants, dark grey button up shirt, with a black vest. Yukino said he needed to look extra special tonight. All of them knew, because of Sting's large mouth, that Lucy was going to make her decision after the exams and they were all dying to know who she had chosen. However, he didn't even know if tonight was the night.

Orga stood outside looking at the snow as his guildmates began to trickle in. He and Rufus had returned earlier that morning. The Dark Mages they were after ended up just being a group of punk kids that were vandalizing shit because they thought it was cool. Orga was relieved that it was not Jiemma, but concern still gripped him at the thought of the former master coming after his family.

"Orga," Yukino stated gently.

The God Slayer looked down at a smiling Yukino who asked him, "Are you going to come in? I'm sure Lucy is anxious to see you."

"Yeah, I'll be in in a second," Orga smiled at his friend.

Yukino nodded her head and went inside to join the party. Orga felt nervous. He rarely felt nervous. He hadn't had the chance to speak to Lucy in over a month. He was afraid to get his hopes up that she might finally tell him that she wanted to be with him. He cared for her so much, but he was going up against Laxus. Yeah, Laxus had his issues and he and Lucy had had their share of disagreements, but still—almost every woman in Fiore would give their right arm if it meant that they could be Laxus Dreyar's girlfriend. He just wasn't sure if he really stood a chance at all.

Either way, he took a deep inhale before he opened the door and scanned the room for Tiny. The room was packed full of people and he was trying to pick out her scent when he saw a streak of red on the stair case. His eyes widened when he saw the blonde he had been longing to talk to, bounce up the stairs. However, the first thing he noticed on her face was that she did not look happy. Hopefully it did not mean that she failed the exams, surely there was no way she could. She was just too good of a mage.

Then he watched as she was about to knock on the door and saw that Laxus opened it. The God Slayer observed that Laxus didn't look much better when he heard Lucy ask, "Hey, can we talk?"

Orga watched as the woman he loved went into the room to speak with Laxus as the party around him raged on.

* * *

**Lucy's PoV...**

Lucy knew that if she could hear her own heart beating, then Laxus definitely could. She didn't know whether to stand or sit as the large, blonde man walked passed her to lean against his desk. She just couldn't seem to get out of her own head and didn't know where to start and she felt a little rushed because she didn't know when the announcement was going to be made. Everything just didn't feel ok.

"Lucy, I'm sorry," Laxus stated quietly, "I realized too late how my actions during the final exam were probably making you feel."

She let out a heavy sigh as she beheld the strong man in front of her. She just didn't know what to do with him. She couldn't keep having the same arguments over and over as she went and leaned up against the desk next to him and asked in a whisper, "What they hell were you doing then? Just…just why Laxus?"

He took a deep inhale as he looked up at the ceiling. Everything seemed to be so hard for him communication-wise before he admitted, "I saw how strong you were. Nobody has ever beaten Gildarts at the exams—not even me when I was younger."

"Then what was it?" Lucy asked because it was starting to make her mad again.

Lucy waited patiently for Laxus to respond before he admitted, "I wasn't afraid of hurting you, I was afraid of myself."

She hoped that there was more to his story, because it wasn't making sense. Luckily he did continued when he clarified, "I've hurt so many people with my arrogance, and once again my arrogance hurt you by not fighting you. It's just, everyone else is so easy to take out, but fighting you—the Light of our Guild…I feel like it reminds everyone of what I used to be and who I could become again if they see me go all out against you or if you see me for what I believe I truly am—I just don't think I can handle it."

Lucy contemplated what Laxus was saying. It was true, she knew that he was still haunted by the demons of his past and with Fantasia. But to her, being humiliated like that in front of the others was just selfish on his part. She looked at the ground and said in a firm voice, "Look I get you have shit in your past that you wish didn't happen, we all do, and maybe I'm being selfish for what I'm about to say, but I feel like after everything we've been through—I deserved to fight you and you fight me fair and square."

Their eyes met before she asked, "Would you have fought Erza or Mira?"

Laxus looked away before he admitted, "Yes."

"And from what I was told, it sounded like you fought Levy and Cana today too—you even see Cana like a sister. You also fought Juvia the other day and she is fucking made of water, Laxus!" Lucy stated, her voice raised a little in the process, "I just don't get why you would treat me different!"

When he didn't respond, she tried not to cry and stated, "I just deserved it. I worked so hard for it."

"I understand," Laxus whispered, "but you are one of the people I never want to hurt or ever to see that side of me again. Even if you choose Orga, it doesn't matter, I see you as a friend and that I will always cherish. I'm sorry I couldn't fight you then."

Lucy felt like her heart had shattered a little and she couldn't help it when tears started to fall from her eyes, she lost it even more when she saw that he had wiped a few tears away from his own eyes. He looked like he wanted to say more, but instead she just stood in front of him and wrapped her arms around his torso and sobbed into his chest before she stated, "Laxus, no matter what…I will never think you are a terrible person. You are a great man that I am happy to call my friend and guildmate."

In response, he wrapped his arms around her and held her close as he leaned his head down and cried on her shoulder. Her heart felt like someone had tied a rope around it that was attached to a boulder and had tossed it into the ocean. It even hurt to swallow, because of the pressure she was feeling from her emotions.

* * *

After several minutes of them remaining in each other's arms, to lighten the mood, she added, "Your biggest flaw Laxus is how goddamn socially awkward you are, but at least you got a cute face to go with it."

She smiled when he chuckled and leaned back. Their arms fell to their sides as they both took a deep breath. He looked at her with a sincere face and asked, "Are we good?"

"Of course," Lucy whispered and saw relief wash over his face.

Then he admitted, "I spoke to Gramps, he won't hold against you what I did."

She just nodded her head, because that seemed so trivial to her now. She knew he was slow to open up; however, that was part of the problem. Being with someone should be as easy as breathing air. Sure every couple would have ups and downs, but having the same downs was a sign to her. Then Master Mavis's words flashed in her mind and she was going to follow her heart.

Her arms began to shake a little with nerves, because she supposed now was as good as time as ever when she said, "Hey Laxus, I need to talk to you about something else."

He got a knowing smile on his face but allowed Lucy to continue, because he knew she needed to say it. The blonde grabbed the lacrima around her neck before she stated, "I care about you a lot and that will never change. I feel honored that you have opened up to me, because I know how closed off you are and you only trust a few people. I will never ever take that for granted."

He leaned back and smiled up at the ceiling. When he first thought about Lucy choosing Orga over him a couple of months ago, it made his blood boil. Now, although it was still going to be a bitch to swallow this humble pill, he could live with it.

The blonde before him gulped, she really did look beautiful tonight and he probably should have told her that sooner, as she continued, "But I want you to know that I think that is all we can ever be is…friends."

He could see how hard this was on her. She really did have a heart of pure gold and he knew that this was probably hurting her more than it even was him, so he reached out to her and pulled her into a hug once more. Once her face was hidden, he smirked but masked his voice and pleaded, "Just please promise not to date anyone else anytime soon. I need to heal first."

He could feel her body tense up and couldn't help but chuckle a little at her silence. She looked up at him in confusion, before it turned to slight annoyance when she smacked his arm and said, "Jerk."

"I had to yank your chain a little, Blondie," Laxus teased to help ease the tension in the room. He hated emotional conversations and he was about at his max for the entire year after this one with Lucy when he added, "Now that you are amongst the most powerful in the guild, someone has to knock you down a peg or two now and again."

"Oh?" Lucy asked with a succubus-like grin, "Just amongst the most powerful? I think I took out three of them."

"Yeah, but you didn't take out all of us," he said with a playful shrug to his shoulders.

"Too soon, jerk!" Lucy laughed before she smacked his arm again.

"My bad, my bad!" he held up his hands in mock surrender.

A few more moments of silence lingered between them before Laxus admitted, "He is a very lucky guy."

"Thank you," Lucy replied with a smile before she asked, "Does my make-up look terrible?"

"Yeah," Laxus responded, because he sure as hell wasn't going to lie and let her go down looking like a raccoon.

"Shit," Lucy cried out as she looked around the room for a mirror.

Laxus pointed to one of his cabinets, which made Lucy roll her eyes before she laughed and said, "Of course Laxus Dreyar would have a mirror in his office."

"Hey, even if you are going to go run off with Orga, I know you are still attracted to me," Laxus grinned.

"In your dreams," Lucy laughed back—yes it was true that she was still attracted to the man, but her heart now clearly belonged to Orga.

"You're already naked in those," Laxus gave her a lecherous grin which made Lucy chuck the nearest object on his counter that she could find at him. "All right, all right, I'll let you have a few minutes alone," he stated before he added on his way out the door, "Just don't come asking me for any sexual advice. We can stay good friends, but there is a limit."

He felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up when Lucy giggled evilly and asked, "Even if it's about wooden anal beads?"

"Fuck off," Laxus chuckled before he gave the blonde girl some time alone in his office. He shook his head as he made his way down the stairs because he could still hear her cracking up at her own joke.

As he made his way down, a slight smile was on his face. While it sucked that he wasn't going to continue a physical relationship with a woman he had come to know and admire, he was happy that he would remain good friends with her.

* * *

After Laxus had left, Lucy summoned out Cancer to help her fix her make-up. She apologized to the spirit, because she knew that they really needed some time off. However, Cancer did not mind at all and instead he reminded her of how proud her Mother would be and that he was honored he could be there to share this night with her.

The Spirit's love for her was about to make her cry again, so Aquarius came out as well and told her to man the fuck up. Together she shared a beautiful moment, well to her at least, when two of her spirits that she had known for so many years.

Once they were finished, Lucy went back out to join the party. She smiled happily as she saw the giant crowd of people and everyone getting along and having a great time. She saw Laxus with his team, Freed looked happier now, and Juvia with her new teammates. Gajeel and Lily were sitting and drinking with Cana while Levy, Jet, and Droy caught up. She saw her own team laughing and having a good time and then mint green hair caught her eye. Her heart skipped a beat as she dashed down the stairs, so that she could make her way over to Orga. His back was to her and she couldn't wait to sneak up on him—well attempt to sneak up on him because he was a Slayer, and give him a bone crushing hug.

As she tried to dodge her way through the crowd, everyone tried to greet her and get her to stop and talk to her. When the Trimens jumped in front of her, she more or less gave them an Erza death glare and they bowed out of her way so that she could continue along her path.

Finally a gap in the crowd appeared and she saw his back again, just before he turned around and they locked eyes with one another. Her heart practically hopped out of her chest and the biggest smile spread across her face when he looked at her. She nearly swooned on the spot when he smiled back and began to head her way.

Just before she went running and jumping into his arms, there was a tap on a microphone over the speakers and Master Makarov announced, "Greetings Everyone! This is a wonderful turnout to celebrate an important night in Fairy Tail. Could I please have all six of the S-Class contestants come forward please?"

Lucy gave Orga a defeated look and she could see him chuckle before she mouthed, ' _Afterwards_ ' then pointed to herself, then to him, then to he again. He nodded his head in understanding before he mouthed back to her, ' _Good Luck_.' She couldn't help but let out a faint squeal of delight and her toes curled in her shoes because pure adrenaline was pumping through her veins now.

Natsu suddenly appeared at her side as they all went on stage together. Lucy found herself standing between Gray and Natsu, which only felt fitting to her, as Master Makarov continued, "Before me I have six young and incredible mages. Fairy Tail members are often known for being strong, reckless, full of passion, and determined. Our exams were a little different this year than in the past, because I realized we were a different guild. We have been through a lot together and I honestly couldn't be more proud Guild Master than I am at this moment."

Everyone let out a roaring cheer as Master Makarov wiped a tear away from his eye. He cleared his throat before he added, "Now I will begin to address each S-Class contestant before I reveal the results of the exam."

Everyone in the audience grew silent as Master Makarov walked up to Gray first and said, "Gray, in X784, you fought alongside Loke and your first competitors were actual Mest and Wendy. Wendy was young and inexperienced in a lot of ways as a Mage. Yet you cleverly figured out a way to defeat her without causing any damage. Also that year, you cleverly defeated foes to protect your nakama by using your own blood."

Gray looked nervous as Master Makarov smiled and added, "This year, you started off a little rocky. You could not seem to get ahead in the test or in the one on one battles. However, we all know you can fight well. The current S-Class Mages told me that you excelled in the final exam and not only opened up but expressed true humility by reaching out and apologizing to someone you had been hurting. That shows true character and skill."

Gray looked over at the Water Mage who gave him a smile before Master Makarov finished Gray with, "Well done."

The elderly man then made his way over to Freed and said, "In X784, you purposely through your first battle in an attempt to make amends for your actions during Fantasia."

Everyone looked shocked, including Cana and Freed, before Makarov smiled and clarified, "A Master knows such things about his children. However, nobody worked as well in a team as you did while you kept the weakened members of your team safe from harm. This year, you learned even more what being a team is and welcomed someone in and stood up for them. You excel in intelligence and in being a good man, Freed Justine, in addition to being a fine, young mage."

"Thank you, Master," Freed replied humbly before he bowed to the man in front of him.

Master Makarov patted Freed's head before he moved onto Juvia and said, "Juvia, my girl, you joined our guild because you felt something here that you had never felt before—love. You have fought hard to protect and not hurt anyone you care about. So much so that in X784, you wouldn't go all out against Erza because you didn't want to hurt anyone. However, you always fight our enemies with such a passion that in makes me wonder why anyone ever dares try and attack us."

Juvia blushed bashfully before Makarov continued, "This year though, you learned to love yourself. I was so proud for how you carried yourself during the exams and didn't even hesitate at going up against my grandson. You have one of the biggest hearts and amongst the bravest women I have ever met. Well done."

"Thank you, Master," Juvia replied as she wiped away a tear.

Master Makarov gently squeezed the girl's hand before he went and stood in front of Cana. The elderly man took a deep breath before he stated, "Cana, Cana, Cana—you are a spitfire and inside you are as strong as the drinks you suck down like air."

Everyone in the audience couldn't help but laugh at Makarov's observation before the Master cleared his throat and continued, "However, in X784, you were struggling a lot. You were struggling with knowledge about your father and with not already being an S-Class mage. So much so that you jeopardized the life of a guildmate—a guildmate that gave you the clue to solve the next challenge and who would have never have done that to you."

Cana looked guilty and Lucy couldn't help but feel bad for the woman and everyone else a little—it felt like all of their dirty laundry was being aired for everyone to see. Then Makarov stated, "But this year, you opened up a little more and let someone else in. Granted someone I don't understand why…"

"Hey," Gajeel grumbled a little—making everyone else laugh.

Makarov just grinned at the Iron Dragon Slayer before he turned back to Cana, who was rubbing her left arm with her right hand out of nerves, and said, "And this year, you hurt a dear friend again."

Cana looked over at Levy who gave her a weak smile, before Makarov added, "But according to the S-Class Mages, you two did make up and are working on salvaging what was a beautiful friendship."

Levy and Cana both nodded before Makarov said to Cana, "That is very mature. You have come far magically, just don't forget that others feel pain too. Not everyone is as strong as you are at dealing with bad things that come their way. Remember Cana, protect those under you and cherish them."

"I promise I will, Master," Cana replied with a few tears in her eyes.

"You're a good girl," Makarov smiled at her before he kissed her hand and turned to Levy, "Levy, in X784, you allowed a man that had once assaulted you to aid you in your exams. That act showed your determination, intelligence, and your heart for allowing others a second chance. You trusted a man that many would not have and he did not fail you."

Gajeel looked down and Levy couldn't help but smile still at Makarov's praise before he stated, "This year though, you struggled with handling what happens when someone close to you hurts you. You excelled in intelligence, but still need to work on maturity and intelligence for they do not always go hand in hand. Love is not logical. However, you did make-up and I am overjoyed to see that."

"Thank you," Levy replied humbly before Makarov moved onto Natsu and said, "Oh my boy, you have caused me financial woes, worried nights, and destruction damages that I have never seen before."

Everyone, including Natsu, laughed at Makarov's honesty before the Master got tears in his eyes and said, "I really do love you like you are my own Grandson. You always fight for your nakama, even for other people when you feel they have been wronged. However, I don't believe I have ever been more proud of you, or of the man that you have become, until these trials. You have matured and excelled where many of people would say you could not have. You always surprise me and I am just so damn proud of you."

Lucy wiped away a few tears of her own away as Natsu and Makarov hugged and Natsu cried too when Makarov said, "Igneel would be so proud of you."

"Thanks Gramps," Natsu whispered.

Makarov then yelled at Mira to get a beer, which made everyone laugh as Makarov chugged down a tall lager. The elderly man belched before he made his way over to Gajeel and yelled with a finger pointed at him, "You may look menacing to others, but I know you're a big softy!"

"HEY!" Gajeel yelled out in his defense.

"Bahhhh, you are as tough as nails. You accepted a double agent mission to protect this guild, even though it meant you had to close yourself off a bit. You take everything at face value and didn't even hesitate to stand up to a fucking dragon during the exams!" Makarov said before he took another drink.

Lucy could tell the audience was very confused and she wished she could see Orga's face through the crowd, but the lights on the stage were too bright for her. Then Makarov stated, "Gajeel, you are brave, loyal, and a great addition to the guild. I am so glad that you are a part of this family."

"Thank you," Gajeel said in a grumpy voice but with a light coat of blush across his face.

Then Master Makarov asked for more beer before he went to stand in front of Lucy. She gulped because she could feel everyone's eyes on her. Silence lingered in the guild as Makarov slowly drank his beer. The elderly man already had tears in his eyes when he said, "That young girl that came to this guild, all those years ago with Natsu and Happy, has changed so much."

Lucy tried to hold it together as she squeezed her toes again and her palms to alleviate the pressure she was feeling in her face. Her heart was aching and racing all at the same time when Makarov said, "I watched you closely. You have always had potential, but you didn't always have faith in yourself because you let other people's words and thoughts get to you."

She felt like she was going to throw up as she listened to her Master speak, "Lucy, this guild still would give their last breath to defend you because when you love people, you give your whole heart and soul with it. You by far have excelled the most magically. You were always supportive of your team, no matter how destructive they were, but now you support yourself too. You may have blown up at my Grandson during your final exam, which he rightly deserved, but I think every member of Fairy Tail can count a few times when they have done much worse. You would make an excellent guild master someday, if you ever felt so inclined, because you see the potential in everyone you meet and you would defend them no matter what. You Lucy, are one of the greatest mages of this age."

Large cheers erupted from the crowd as Lucy grabbed Master Makarov and hugged him close. She could faintly hear Natsu and Gray tease her as Natsu said, "Show off!"

After Master Makarov got all flustered by Lucy's bodily contact, the blushing man, then said, "I guess it is time to announce the results!"

Everyone grew quiet once again, just after Lucy pushed Natsu playfully for making fun of her, as Makarov announced, "Well we disappeared in X784, where we did not get to announce an S-Class Mage—along with X785, X786, X787, X788, X789, X790, and now this year X791."

The S-Class contestants all looked at each other—surely he couldn't mean…Then Makarov pointed to them and said, "I believe there are just the right amount of years as there are contestants! Gray, you get X784; Freed, you get X785; Juvia, you get X786; Cana, you get X787; Levy, you get X788; Natsu, you get X789; Gajeel, you get X790; and Lucy, you get X791!" Then Makarov pointed to the audience and declared, "Earthland, watch out! Fairy Tail has six new S-Class Mages!"

Natsu and Lucy looked at each other and yelled, "We did it!"

The crowd was going wild as Mira released confetti and balloons from the ceiling. Then Makarov did a little dance on the stage and yelled, "NOW LET'S PARTY!"

Gray came up and grabbed them both just before Erza and Happy joined them on the stage as the Ice-Make Mage said, "I can't believe it! We all got it!"

"Hells yeah!" Natsu yelled as he and Happy high fived.

Then the Exceed got a few tears in his eyes before he wailed, "I'M THE ONLY ONE THAT IS NOT S-CLASS! LILY IS GOING TO BEAT ME TO IT!"

Then everyone stopped and grew silent again when Gajeel asked, "But who was the best this time?"

Even the audience went silent when Master Makarov said, "Well Cana had two coconut points…so I guess her."

Everyone sweatdropped as Lucy murmured, "The point system still doesn't make any sense."

Then Gray asked, "Seriously though, Gramps…who was it?"

"Oh well seriously, that'd be Lucy. That should be obvious," Makarov busted out laughing, "She could single handedly wipe all of your asses and look fine doing it! That's a win win in my book."

Lucy scratched her cheek nervously as all the contestants and everyone turned to look at her. She gave them her dazzling smile and shrugged her shoulders, before she asked, "Shots anyone?"

"Oh fuck yeah, Luce!" Cana cheered as Mira lined up six shot glasses for the winners.

Lucy squeezed Natsu's arms as she downed the tequila in one gulp. She sucked in air as everyone laughed and Mira began to fill more. The party started back up in full swing with everyone laughing, playing games, dancing, and of course—drinking. However, Lucy couldn't wait anymore, she had to speak to Orga.

The blonde made her way past several of her friends, after she grabbed her coat from behind the bar, as they congratulated her and then she saw him. She got a grin on her face as she whispered, "Orga."

The God Slayer looked in her direction and she nodded her head towards the door. He got a warm smile on his face before he excused himself from his table to meet the blonde outside.

As the blonde stepped outside, she let out a sigh of relief at the coolness of the night air. She was so glad that this year she was going to experience all of winter in Magnolia as she put her coat on. Her heart jumped up into her throat when she heard the guild door open quietly behind her—finally…finally she would tell Orga how he made her feel and that she wanted to be with him.


	68. Chapter 68

She spun around to see Orga's smiling face staring at her before he greeted her in his deep, husky voice, "Hey Tiny, congratulations."

She couldn't help but giggle as she lunged into his arms, fully knowing that he would catch her. She breathed in his scent and it was a wave of relief hitting her right in her soul. She wanted to remain in his embrace like this forever, but she also wanted to tell him everything she was feeling.

"You've got a bone crushing hug now," Orga gasped a little as Lucy's grip around him tightened in excitement.

She couldn't help but continue to laugh as pure joy overwhelmed her senses before she replied, "I can't help it! I've missed you so much!"

"I've missed you too…a lot actually," Orga sighed in relief.

Lucy begrudgingly pulled away from the hug before she looked up at the man she had fallen in love with once more and stated, "We have so much to talk about, but first—I want to go somewhere with you."

"Anywhere, Tiny," Orga smiled.

Lucy squealed in delight and jumped up into Orga's arms and wrapped her arms around his neck. He gave her a gentle look before she asked, "Can you take us to the train station, please?"

He nodded in agreement before he teleported them to the station.

* * *

Upon arrival, Lucy was thankful that nobody was there. She wanted this moment between her and Orga to be special. With the snow falling, Magnolia was a quiet town—except at Fairy Tail.

After he sat her down, she grabbed his hand and said with a smile, "Follow me!"

The two walked hand in hand and Lucy felt a mix of embarrassment and excitement. She had never done anything like this before. She guided him over to a platform and stated, "Stand right here."

He raised his eyebrow at her, but kept a soft smile on his face as she positioned him to look at the train that was sitting still for the night. Then she quickly dashed over to his left a few yards away, almost falling on her ass in the process because of the snow everywhere.

Orga watched at how cute Lucy was before she grinned at him and admitted, "This is where we both were standing on the first day of our mission together."

Orga looked up at the snow before he replied, "And then you came up to me and said 'Hi Orga, we haven't been properly introduced yet, but my name is Lucy Heartfilia. It is a pleasure to meet you and I look forward to working with you.'"

Lucy giggled at how he had remembered exactly what she had said so perfectly before she added, "Then you responded to me with, 'Hey.'"

The God Slayer couldn't help but chuckle because Lucy had tried to deepen her voice when she was mimicking him, instead it ended up just making both of them laugh. Then Lucy took a deep breath before she continued, "There were a lot of ups and downs during our first few weeks together; you and Laxus, my visions, me not having confidence in myself—but despite all of those things you were there by my side. You made me feel so incredibly safe, in a way that I had not experienced in a very long time. When I am with you Orga, I feel like I can be myself—no matter what version of myself that is. I can be silly, I can have bad days, I can be whatever I am feeling in that moment and it doesn't ever really change how you see me."

Orga thought about what Lucy was saying before he admitted, "I feel the same. When we were on Samui Yama, there were a lot of times where we just read or did separate things. It was like we were being alone, but together all at the same time. I've never felt so comfortable in someone's presence like that before. Being around you, Lucy, is like as easy as breathing to me—even when we do have disagreements."

Lucy got the largest grin on her face, because he said exactly what she had been thinking when she told Laxus that she couldn't be with him. While Laxus was a great man, she worried that eventually their differences would drive them apart instead of bringing them closer together. Whereas the man before her was different, but all of the qualities she needed—he had.

Finally she took both of his large hands and looked at him and admitted, "It's you, Orga. I want to be with you, go on dates with you, snuggle next to you on the couch while we fall asleep watching a movie, cook dinner with you, spoil Plue with you, and go on more adventures with you."

She didn't have to wait for his response when his hands cupped the sides of her face and his lips came crashing down onto her hers. Lucy's head seemed to shut the rest of the world out entirely as she stood up on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around his neck to deepen their kiss. One of his hands relinquished the firm, yet gentle, grip on her face as he slid his hand down her back to pull her closer into his embrace. He had never been happier in his life then he was in that moment, in the snow, with Lucy.

As the two gently pulled away from each other, because they were both running out of air, Lucy bit her lip gently and snuggled into Orga's chest for another hug before she asked sheepishly, "Soooo…does that sound good to you too?"

Orga chuckled, "That sounds amazing, Tiny. You are all mine now."

"He he," Lucy giggled out loud before she added, "And you are all mine—Or-chan." She was bursting with excitement as she reached up to captivate his lips once more, no longer feeling guilty for expressing her physical desires.

* * *

The two could have stayed like that forever, but because Orga wanted Lucy to enjoy this night to its fullest, not just because of him, he gently pulled away from her lips and asked, "So do you want to head back to your guild so that you can party with your guildmates?"

Lucy let out a sigh at Orga's sweetness before she admitted, "Yeah, I probably should. I just couldn't wait to tell you."

"Oh I am very glad that you did," Orga explained honestly, "It definitely has me planning our first official date as a couple now."

"Really!?" Lucy inquired, "When? Plus our first date was so much fun! But it will be great going on a date with you as your girlfriend."

Orga chuckled at his girlfriend's excitement as they held hands and slowly walked back to the guild together. They wanted to savor the moment, instead of just teleporting there. He could feel his large arm being swung back and forth, because Lucy was practically skipping in excitement before he answered he question, "Are you free tomorrow?"

"I am free all day tomorrow," Lucy responded before she added, "Natsu and Happy are going on a fishing trip. I'm not sure what Erza and Gray were going to do though. I think everyone was just going to do whatever with Christmas being so close."

Orga nodded his head before he stated, "Well I would very much love to have an official couple first date with you then."

"I would very much love that too," Lucy responded with a smile as she leaned her head against her boyfriend's arm, "Also, I want to catch up tomorrow on everything. There are so many things I need to know, like your mission with Laxus, how is Sabertooth doing because Laxus told me about your guild being threatened, all of that."

Orga got a solemn look on his face. Tonight was a night of celebration and he logically knew that everyone in his guild was safe. Jiemma would be a fool to attack when there was a massive guild party going on. Who knows, maybe after hearing that Fairy Tail made six new S-Class mages then his old master would think twice about attacking Sabertooth.

However, in this moment, Orga wanted to soak in the bliss of finally becoming Lucy's boyfriend when he replied, "I would very much like that too. I would also like to add how incredibly beautiful you look tonight."

He felt a swell of pride in his chest when he saw Lucy's face heat up, despite the cold temperature outside. She looked up at him with her big chocolate eyes and stated, "You look rather sexy yourself. You in a suit is pretty yummy."

Orga got a lecherous grin on his face before he teased, "It's almost like you view me as something edible because you are always talking about wanting to taste me and apparently now, I am yummy."

Maybe it was the shot Lucy had already had, or maybe that it was the fact that Orga was now her boyfriend and eventually she hoped to reach that level with him when she replied in a sultry voice, "Well maybe I do want to taste you."

She grinned in satisfaction when Orga inhaled sharply and responded with, "I have a feeling that you are going to be my undoing, Lucy Heartfilia."

She gave him a wink and replied, "You know it, Or-chan." Then she beckoned for him to lean down so that she could plant a soft kiss on his cheek.

"I'm a lucky man," Orga stated after the innocent gesture from Lucy.

She hummed in agreement before she replied honestly, "I'm pretty lucky too."

When they finally arrived in front of the guild, Lucy got a little nervous and stopped Orga before she stated, "I apologize right now for my guild—well mostly Mira…and Erza…and Cana…They may or may not question you a lot or talk about our future in a super uncomfortable way."

Orga shrugged his shoulder and added, "I can accept that and I will apologize for Sting now. He will most likely behave the same way, unless Yukino stops him."

"Understood," Lucy replied with a smile before she got a mischievous look on her face and admitted, "Orga, I may or may not get a little tipsy tonight, but before I do—I want you to know that you are free to stay at my place. I can hold my alcohol better now, thanks to my training with Natsu, and would very much like to cuddle you like we did on Samui Yama."

Orga let out a booming laugh as he held open the door with her and stated, "Thank you and I'd like to hear more about this drinking training."

Before Lucy could respond, the couple walked into the guild and their mouths fell open when they saw Levy sitting in a chair in the center of the guild, with 'Slow Hands' playing over the large speakers, and Gray strip dancing around her.

"Luce!" Natsu yelled at her before he came running up to her and stated, "Thank God you are back! They are challenging us!"

"Huh?" both Lucy and Orga asked in unison.

"All of the S-Class Mages of Fairy Tail! We are having a dance-off because of our karaoke battle on the island!" Natsu clarified because he was ready to go, "Meet me over there soon! We are up after Mira and Laxus!"

"Aye Sir!" Lucy saluted her teammate before she grabbed another shot off of the tray that Kinana had as she walked by.

"Karaoke battle?" Orga could help but laugh.

Lucy winced at the burn of the alcohol before she replied, "We trained in lots of ways."

Then Lucy received a warm welcome when Veronica and Diane came up and congratulated Lucy. Diane was the first to notice the closeness between Lucy and Orga and inquired, "So does this mean that we will be seeing you around Sabertooth more often now?"

Veronica got a knowing smile on her face too as Lucy replied with a smile before she looked up at her boyfriend and replied, "Yes it does."

"Eve will be so happy," Veronica sighed in delight, "She has been looking forward to seeing you again. Actually she was here up until recently."

"Where did she go?" Lucy asked with a pout.

"Weeellllll this party got pretty adult, pretty fast," Diane laughed before she added, "We were introduced to Bisca and Alzack and their little girl. Wendy and Romeo were going to babysit Asuka once things got riled up here and they offered to let Eve come because they were going to go back to the Connell's house to watch movies and play games. That would be more fun than this to them."

"Awww, that's so sweet," Lucy replied, "But yeah, Fairy Tail parties can get out of hand pretty fast."

They all turned around to see a blushing Levy in a chair as Gray dry humped her to the beat of the music…

 _I just wanna take my time_  
_We could do this, baby, all night, yeah_  
_'Cause I want you bad_ _  
_ _Yeah, I want you, baby_

Lucy just laughed and shook her head before she added, "We can be pretty entertaining though too."

"I can see that," Veronica laughed in response. The couple then excused themselves to go get more drinks and Lucy smiled at Orga as she led him over to where her team was sitting. As they got closer, Erza got a happy smile on her face before she handed them both drinks and asked, "So is it official yet?"

"It is," Lucy beamed as she took a seat next to Natsu and Orga sat down on the other side of her.

"Congratulations to you both," Erza said before she held up her drink for them all to toast.

Then Happy walked over in front of them and said, "They lllllllllliiiiiiiiiiiiiiike each other."

"Yesssssssssssssss we do!" Lucy teased before she pushed the cat backwards and wrapped her arms through Orga's arm that was closest to her.

The God Slayer seemed to fit right into the group as he spoke to Natsu about Draco. Well Lucy wasn't sure about fitting in as much as he brought a quiet balance to their chaos. Then Loke appeared behind them and declared, "I suppose if Lucy can't be with me then Orga is the next best match."

Lucy gave Loke a warm smile, because he had been amazing help and was a fantastic friend as she sorted through her feelings the past few months. Then the Leader of the Zodiac clapped down on Orga's shoulder to congratulate the man before he went to mingle with the single ladies from the other guilds.

Cheers erupted in the guild after Gray's performance ended. Master Makarov, Master Bob, and Master Sting were the judges and it seemed that the only high score they received was from Master Bob because he thought Gray was just simply wonderful.

As Gray made his way over to them, Lucy looked at Erza and asked, "So is Gildarts your partner since Mira and Laxus are partners for this? And who started this competition?"

Just as Gray reached them, Lucy heard the strum of a guitar and everyone began to cheer as 'Roxanne' began to play and Gajeel and Cana made their way on the dance floor. Gajeel was wearing his white tuxedo and Cana wore a sequin black dress with a giant slit up the side—and the song just seemed to work for them.

Then together the crowd yelled the first few words of the song…

 _Roxanne_  
_You don't have to put on the red light_  
_Those days are over_ _  
_ _You don't have to sell your body to the night_

Erza pointed at Natsu and Gray as the culprits for starting the dance-off, before she replied with, "Yes, we are up next, then Juvia and Freed, followed by Mira and Laxus—you and Natsu bring it to the finale."

"We are so going to kick your guys' asses," Natsu laughed before he finished another mug of beer.

"Probably, Levy was too embarrassed to dance," Gray stated.

"Gray, clothes," Erza, Natsu, Happy, and Lucy all stated in unison.

The Ice-Make Mage was down to his boxer briefs and an orange neck tie before he shrugged his shoulders, grabbed a beer, and stated, "I don't care."

Orga nudged Lucy and asked, "So what song are you guys going to do?"

"NOPE!" Natsu yelled with a grin on his face, "They will steal it!"

"I seriously doubt that," Lucy laughed before she pleaded with her best friend, "Can't I whisper it in his ear?"

"Nope!" Natsu stood firm in his position, "Dragon Slayers are everywhere."

Lucy sweatdropped at Natsu's intensity as the friends turned to watched Cana's and Gajeel's performance. Orga just chuckled at the interaction before Yukino and Rogue came over to join them and offered their congratulations. Watching everyone have a good time and get along so well made Lucy's heart swell. She was fairly certain that she was the happiest she had ever been in her life at that moment. Surrounded by friends and next to a man that loved her. Everything just felt so perfect and complete.

* * *

Everyone continued to drink and watch the performances, Erza and Gildarts danced to 'Right Round' and it ended up with Gildarts puking up his beer, because Erza made sure that she spun him round and round.

Up next was Freed and Juvia who did a wonderful Viennese Walt to 'Let it Go.' Lucy found it both ironic and entertaining that they danced to a song that was known about an Ice Queen. However, Gray didn't find it as humorous as they all did. She was also marveled by how well the two moved together and in her old life, in high society, Freed and Juvia would have been the talk of the night. Juvia looked radiant in a dark blue, sparkly, A-line dress as Freed, dressed in a dashing black tuxedo with dark blue tie, glided his partner around the guild as though it were the most elegant ballroom in all of Fiore.

Finally it was Mira's and Laxus's turn and wolf whistles began to radiate from the crowd as Mira and Laxus faced each other. Lucy giggled when she heard the Take-Over Mage speak through a gritted teeth smile, "If I didn't know Juvia better, then I would be extremely jealous of how she just danced with my boyfriend. Laxus, let's kick their asses to make Freed jealous."

"Uhhhh," was all Laxus's response as Mira grabbed his hand and firmly planted it on her waste just before she knocked her bosom into his chest.

Lucy let out a light sigh as 'Tale As Old As Time' began to play and Laxus and Mira began the slow minuet to the music. Then Natsu asked, "Isn't this from that movie you made me watch, Luce? And where did Laxus learn to dance like that?"

Lucy nodded her head at Natsu's first question and Erza answered, "Laxus has been S-Class for a while and sometimes you have to learn high society things to fit in on missions."

"Clearly hasn't helped you with your dancing," Gray snickered as he took another swig of ale.

Erza lunged at Gray to knock him out and Lucy just laughed at Orga's shock by it all. Then she couldn't help but laugh harder when Happy asked, "So does this song make Laxus the Beast or Mira?"

"I'm kind of more scared of Mira," Natsu admitted in honesty.

After Natsu and Happy began to debate as to who was the beast and what drink they should try next, Orga looked at Lucy before he nodded towards Laxus and asked, "So does he know?"

Lucy looked over at Laxus who looked worried as hell because Mira was demon radiating all over him for missing a step before she replied, "Yeah, I spoke to him right before the announcement of the S-Class Mages. I wanted him to know first instead of hearing it from someone else."

Orga nodded in relief before he stated in an honest tone, "I hope it went well. I know how much you care about him."

She took a deep breath with how thoughtful Orga was before she nodded her head and added, "Yes, he and I will be good friends and he is ok with us."

The two gently brushed their lips against each other's just before Cana dropped her arms around either of them and said, "Well, well, well, is Lucy going to lose her V-Card tonight?"

"CANA!" Lucy screeched before she blushed like crazy at her own actions.

The brunette had a mischievous grin on her face as Gajeel walked up and shook Orga's hand and stated, "You got a ferocious Bunny on your hands there."

Orga chuckled before he smiled at Lucy and stated, "So it would seem. It sounds like she was quite the conqueror during the exams."

"Kicked all of our asses," Gajeel grunted before he and Cana took a seat at the table with all of them.

"Tsssssk, she didn't kick mine," Natsu pointed out.

"Because she was on your team, Flame Brain," Gray snorted in disgust. The Ice-Make Mage had now lost his tie thanks to Erza.

"Bunnies like to mate," Cana grinned at her, "A lot."

"And so do lushes," Lucy teased back.

Gajeel couldn't help but chuckle and Cana got a wide grin on her face before she surrendered, "Touché, but I'm pretty sure we will beat you and Natsu at this competition. Natsu has no sex appeal and Gaj here just radiates it."

"Hey!" Natsu stated with his feelings hurt slightly.

Then everyone grew quiet when Lucy got a plotting grin on her face before she replied, "We shall see."

* * *

Everyone gave a roaring cheer after Mira and Laxus bowed before everyone. Even though theirs wasn't a flawless performance, the judges were too afraid to vote Mira down any points because of Laxus's mistakes—and the fact that Mira looked like she would murder them in their sleep if they gave her anything less than a perfect score.

Then Orga turned to Lucy with a smile and said, "Good luck topping that."

Lucy barely got the chance to respond when Natsu said, "Oh we will! And don't get mad at me for what we are about to do!"

Orga looked at him in confusion as Lucy was dragged towards the center of the guild. Natsu ran over to Vijeeter who was the DJ for the evening and whispered in his ear. Then Natsu ran back to Lucy and asked, "Do you think Orga will get mad at this dance?"

"No," Lucy laughed because she was finally starting to feel the effects of the alcohol, "I think everyone will be more weirded out by what we are about to do—especially you."

Natsu got a cat-like grin on his face just as the music to Jason Derulo's 'Want to Want Me' came on and Natsu ripped off his shirt during the first verse. Lucy laughed as gasps from women rippled through the crowd.

 _It's too hard to sleep_  
_I got the sheets on the floor, nothing on me_  
_And I can't take it no more, it's a hundred degrees_ _  
_ _I got one foot out the door, where are my keys?_

Lucy watched as Natsu danced around her with moves that would make Michael Jackson jealous. She could see Loke grinning at the edge of the dance floor because he and Lynx had been the two to teach Natsu how to use his sex appeal finally. It made Lucy laugh, but she remembered how they had Natsu test it out on Aries, with the spirit's permission, and the poor spirit fainted from a nosebleed. The women in the crowd now were no different than Aries. She even saw Cana, Erza, and Lisanna watching from the crowd with their mouths hanging open at the sudden change in their childhood friend.

Then when it got to the first chorus, Lucy grabbed Natsu hand and did their choreographed danced together…

 _Girl you're the one I want to want me_  
_And if you want me, girl you got me_  
_There's nothing I, no I wouldn't do (I wouldn't do)_ _  
_ _Just to get up next to you_

"What the fuck is this?" Gray asked in shock as they all watched Natsu and Lucy dance—well mostly Natsu because he had somehow turned into a Sex God on the dance floor.

"He strips better than you now, Gray," Happy snickered.

"I'd say so," Erza and Cana both stated in unison.

"Hey!" Gajeel grumbled as Cana eyed another Dragon Slayer.

"He's got nothing on you, Black Steel Gajeel," Cana cooed before she whispered something naughty into the Iron Dragon Slayer's ear.

"Fucking pervert," Laxus grumbled towards Cana as he came up and sat down next to Orga.

Orga smiled at the man that became his battle buddy a few weeks back and shook the man's hand. Everyone was focused on the dance and Orga did not feel threatened in any way. He knew that Natsu and Lucy were very close and had never crossed the line of friendship. True they were weird friends, but he was glad that she had someone like Natsu in her life to make her enjoy things.

Then Laxus said in a low voice to Orga, "I just wanted you to know that things are cool with us."

"I'm glad," Orga replied as everyone laughed and cheered at Natsu's and Lucy's performance. He was glad that Laxus came up to him and that Lucy was having such a good time with her friends. She deserved it after how hard she had worked.

Then Laxus looked at him and asked, "Any news on Jiemma?"

"Nothing," Orga admitted before Laxus got them another beer.

Laxus nodded his head in understanding before he clasped the man on the shoulder and said, "Don't hesitate to reach out if you need our help."

"I appreciate that," Orga stated honestly.

Laxus got a faint smile on his face before he added, "And if you break her heart, I'll kick your ass."

Orga couldn't help but chuckle before he responded, "Understood, but I have no intention of doing that."

Laxus got a knowing smile on his face before he went back over to his team. Then Orga looked back at the dance floor towards Lucy and smiled as she and Natsu had their backs to each other and the music ended.

Everyone went wild at the two best friends because their performance was by far the most fun to watch and Orga could hear Jason in the crowd somewhere yelling, "Cool! Cool! Coooooooooooool!"

Then Natsu grabbed the microphone away from Vijeeter and yelled, "EVERYBODY DANCE!"

The majority of the crowd grabbed a partner as Makarov began to list off coconut points for the various dances. None of the contestants seemed to care, except for Mira and Erza who began a dance off with just each other, because Gildarts and Laxus refused to dance anymore.

Lucy ran over to Orga and jumped in his arms again and asked, "So what did you think?"

The God Slayer laughed and admitted, "Natsu sure has changed."

"Yeah," Lucy laughed, "The dancing was all Loke's and Lynx's doing. But now…I want to dance with my man."

Orga smiled just before Lucy grabbed his hand and dragged him off to the dance floor by Rogue and Yukino. Tonight they were going to celebrate until they were too exhausted to continue.

* * *

"Oh my god, my head," Lucy groaned as she rolled over in her bed before she shot up, because she remembered that Orga had came home with her. Then she screamed, "Ow, son of a bitch," and grabbed her head because she had sat up too fast.

She was thankful that she wasn't nauseous, but goddamn did she still have a headache from going too hard last night. She looked around her small apartment and saw that Orga wasn't in it before she saw a note next to her bed that read:

_Tiny,_

_I have a feeling you will need some protein in you when you wake up. Be back soon._

_-Or-chan_

She giggled in delight. Having a boyfriend was already fun and it was so cute how he called himself Or-chan. She enjoyed last night with Orga so much and being with her friends and it finally being drama free. She smiled at the memory of dancing in his arms and then walking arm and arm with him on their way home through the snow, just enjoying each other's company. Although she knew that she was probably talking a million words a minute because she was a bit tipsy and hyper, but he didn't seem to mind.

Last night he was such a gentleman too as he let her fall asleep on him on the couch, but he must have carried her over to her bed in the night. As she looked around her small apartment with all of the Christmas decorations that were still up from her and Orga's first date, she knew she needed to find a new home soon. Hers was too small for when Orga came over. He was just a mountain of a man. The perverted image that popped up into her mind made her giggle seductively as she bit her lip, because she knew she would be conquering that mountain, hopefully, within the next few weeks.

There was a light knock at the door and when Lucy stated, "Come in," she already had a grin on her face as Orga came in with some drinks and what looked like to be bags of fast food.

"Morning Tiny," Orga replied huskily as he came to sit next to her on the bed.

"Good morning, Boyfriend," Lucy smiled in delight before she leaned up and kissed him on the cheek.

She could see him blush a little before he handed her one of the bags and stated, "I really like the sound of that."

"What? Being called my boyfriend?" Lucy asked sheepishly before she opened the bag to look inside.

"Yeah, being called Lucy Heartfilia's boyfriend," Orga grinned, "I think most people will think we look a little out of place together."

"Ahh, screw other people," Lucy stated fiercely before she looked at him and added, "We work together and it's nobody else's business but ours."

"Agreed," Orga replied with a smile before he kissed her head, "I know the food might seem weird, but I promise it will help take your headache away—along with some pain reliever."

"I'll trust your judgment," Lucy laughed as she unwrapped what appeared to be a fried chicken breast between a buttermilk biscuit, along with some fried round hash browns, and a soda.

She took a big bite of the sandwich and the way it melted in her mouth with its unique flavors made her groan. This was going to be good. Then she took a sip of her soda before she asked, "Sooooo, when does our date start?"

Orga had already taken a bite of his sandwich when she asked, so she waited eagerly for him to stop chewing before he replied, "Well, since you have Draco now—could you meet me at my place around 4 p.m.?"

"Sure!" Lucy exclaimed, "Oh my gosh, can you tell me anything about it?"

"Nope," Orga laughed, because he had been thinking about this for quite some time.

"Fiiiiine," Lucy whined a little before she playfully kicked Orga with her foot.

After the two finished their unique breakfast, Lucy asked, "So do you want to do anything today?"

Orga smiled gently at her before he admitted, "Well I actually need to go finish arrangements for our epic first date as a couple. Also, I had a feeling you would want to be alone and have some time for yourself this morning."

Lucy's heart felt all warm and fuzzy as she headed to the bathroom to brush her teeth before she asked, "How do you know me so well already?"

"Well we did spend three weeks together, but you just spent four with Natsu…so I think anyone would understand if you want some quiet time," Orga laughed.

Lucy joined in laughter at his honesty before she replied with her toothbrush in her mouth, "That sounds great actually and it will give me time to start looking at new living arrangements." She quickly spit out her toothpaste and rinsed her mouth out before she got a wicked smile on her face and added, "You know, if I move soon—boyfriends are supposed to help with things like moving boxes and stuff. You think you're up for it?"

Orga had stood up already to grab his coat and he couldn't help but laugh again. The way he and Lucy were giggling and smiling, people would probably think that they were drunk or on something before he answered, "Your wish is my command, Tiny."

Lucy did a little happy dance before she jumped into Orga's arms and captivated his lips. She moaned because he tasted like a winter storm and his body felt so damn good pressed up against hers. She could feel his strong hands holding her up, his immaculate chest against hers, and it took all self-restraint that she had in her to not wrap her legs around his waist and rip her own clothes off.

She groaned in a whiney voice as they pulled away for air before he stated in a husky tone in her ear, "Tiny, I better leave now or we won't be leaving at all."

"Would that be such a bad thing?" she teased with a smile.

Her mischievous grin widened even further when she heard him inhale sharply. The God Slayer looked at her in a way that sent tendrils down her nervous system before he replied, "I would never forgive myself if I didn't treat you like the perfect goddess that you are and take you on fantastic dates before we move on to other aspects of our relationship."

She took a large breath and held the smile on her face before she stated, "Orga, you are pretty perfect too."

"Thanks, Tiny," he replied before he kissed her on her cheek and added, "So I'll see you later at my place."

"Count on it!" Lucy stated happily before she asked, "Wait, what do I need to wear?"

He thought about that for a moment before he answered, "Regular clothes will be just fine. But feel free to bring an overnight bag if you want to stay at my place."

"Ok," she replied before she gave him one last bear hug before he left. She had absolutely loved his house, it was beyond perfect to her. She smiled as she pictured herself reading a book by his fireplace with a fuzzy blanket.

Then her eyes lit up with an idea as she quickly dashed to her closet to get ready for the day. If she wanted to, she could find her own home with a fire place, and a library, and have a kitchen island—one that Orga could bend her over on in the future. She was beyond excited about starting a new chapter in her life. She was now an S-Class mage, had a boyfriend, and was going to find her very own house for the first time. Everything seemed pretty perfect.

* * *

Lucy decided on wearing a little black dress that flared out along with a soft cream colored cashmere cardigan paired with black tights and suede ankle booties. Cancer had fixed her hair to be down, but put part of it up on the side with a little black glass rose.

She felt so nervous and excited when Draco dropped her off at Orga's. She had almost every spirit come out and give her advice on her first official date with Orga. She was chastised by Capricorn to be responsible, Aquarius gave her tips on how not to be annoying, Andromeda told her to just relax, Loke came out with a year's supply worth of condoms, Virgo brought fuzzy handcuffs, and the others were just as bat-shit crazy as the rest of them. Even Natsu and Happy showed up to wish her well before they went on their fishing trip.

However, right now she was bundled up in a wool coat with a cream colored cashmere stocking, scarf, and gloves holding onto her overnight bag. She was shivering on his front doorstep, being this high up and snow still everywhere, but luckily she didn't have to wait for long when he opened the door with a big smile on his face. She felt something primal awaken in her when she saw him in a dark, long sleeved heather grey henley and a pair of dark denim jeans. Once again her mind went to just how damn delicious he looked.

"Come on in, Tiny," Orga replied as he stepped aside so Lucy could enter his magnificent home.

She let out a calming sigh as she looked around the natural stoniness of Orga's house. The lighting was perfect and she could smell eucalyptus and spearmint. She couldn't help but smile a little at the tiny Christmas Tree that Orga had put on the edge of his counter. It was a modest little thing with green and black bulbs and a star on top. It was simple, cute, and very Orga.

"Can I take your things?" Orga asked as he placed his hand gently on her back.

Lucy bit her lip at the electric energy that seemed to pass between them before she spun around into his arms and gently ran her hands up his chest before she replied in a moan, "Mmhmm."

She gave him a mischievous smile when he took a steadying breath again as she slowly unbuttoned her coat. Their eyes never left each other as she undid her outer layer. There was so much tension after months of getting closer to each other that even in Lucy's own mind she was screaming at herself to go get a room already.

However, they both had restraint as Lucy handed her coat, scarf, hat, and gloves to Orga. She knew she needed to distract herself, because she could feel herself getting more turned on by the second. Everything about him just screamed mature and manly.

Then he put an even bigger smile on her face, after he hung up her coat in his entry way closet, when he came up to her, wrapped his arm around her and stated, "You look absolutely breathtaking."

"Thank you," she breathily whispered as he gently pulled away so that he could put her bag in his bedroom. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves a little before she asked, "So, what are the plans this evening, My God Slayer?"

She loved how happy Orga looked when she called him little nicknames before he replied, "Well, at 6 p.m. we have reservations for a couple's cooking class."

"Ohhh, I've always wanted to try one of those!" Lucy stated in excitement as she went up and wrapped her arms around Orga's waist.

She could hear him hum in satisfaction that she was happy before he added in a husky voice, "Excellent, I thought you might enjoy something like that."

"Sooooo, that is still a few hours away," Lucy purred as she pressed herself into him more.

She giggled in delight when he captivated her lips and ran his fingers through her soft hair. She moaned in delight at his taste because he was completely and utterly intoxicating. The way his mouth moved against hers was nearly enough for her to beg him to just stay in for the night because she had made him wait long enough; however, he was the one who pulled away with a devilish smirk on his face and stated, "It will take some getting used to—knowing that you are my girlfriend and I can kiss you whenever I want."

Lucy was a mess of incoherent sounds before she winked at him and saucily replied, "That's not the only thing you'll get to  _do_  whenever you want."

He let out a booming laugh at her joke before he added, "I can definitely tell you've been living with a man for a month."

Lucy playfully smacked his arm before he went behind his kitchen island and opened up his fridge. He was still chuckling when Lucy stated, "I can't help it. Being around Loke, Lynx, and Natsu made me think more pervy. Besides you bring it out in me too with your rugged sexiness."

"Hey, I'm not one to judge," Orga laughed as he pulled out a bottle of semi-sweet strawberry wine, "I will gladly give you plenty of pervy things to work with then."

"Mmmmm," Lucy smiled and nodded her head as Orga offered her a glass, "You're my Godly Muse."

"I'm glad," Orga replied with a warm smile as he popped the cork to the wine and began to pour him and Lucy a glass.

Lucy just watched in admiration as Orga prepared them some fruit, crackers, and a cheese tray to pair with their wine before he admitted, "I thought before we go on our first date, we could catch up on everything that happened this past month."

"I'd like that a lot," Lucy replied after she took a drink of her wine. The liquid was fruity and wonderful as it slid down her throat. She was definitely no snob when it came to wine, despite her upbringing to sniff it, swirl it, and spit it back out. Instead she finally found that balance that alcohol was meant to be treated as an enjoyable way to relax and have a bit of fun.

She watched as Orga grew a little serious before he began to spill everything that had happened to him; Lady Coralie's real mission, Minerva's flirting, fighting alongside Laxus, Jiemma's looming threat against Sabertooth, the guilds allying against Jiemma…all of it. When he finally got done telling her everything, he looked at her with sincere eyes and admitted, "I know you Lucy, and I know that you won't let anything happen to any of us that you see friends, but I'll admit that I am scared for my guild. I saw what Mr. Tadashi can do and how much trouble he gave both Laxus and me—to think that Jiemma has other people out there like that just waiting to hurt Sabertooth and now Minerva will find out that we are official and will probably be coming after you…the whole thing makes me feel sick."

For the first time since Lucy had known Orga, she saw him in a different way. Everyone, including herself, saw him as an almost unmovable mountain that didn't let things bother him. Her heart grew heavy for him as she reached across the kitchen island to hold his hand and stated, "No matter what happens, I'll be by your side. Sting and Natsu both hurt Jiemma before. We will make sure that Sabertooth and kids like Eve can stay safe, no matter what guild we are in."

Orga nodded his thanks and Lucy could see a little relief wash over his face before she added, "You and I are in this together now and you don't have to share your burdens alone. You kept me safe and stayed strong for me during my training—let me be strong for you now."

"Thank you," Orga whispered sincerely before he kissed her hand, "You truly are an amazing woman."

Lucy smiled widely at the compliment before she included, "And as for Minerva—I'll kick that bitch's ass so hard that she won't be able to sit for a year."

The God Slayer let out a booming laugh, to which Lucy joined in as she took another swig of wine. Orga then poured them a little more before he said, "Now tell me all about your training with Natsu and how you kicked ass during the exams, Tiny. Oh and did you find any potential houses today?"

Lucy agreed just as she plopped a grape into her mouth and started from the beginning with where she and Natsu had to live and how she learned to tame the infamous Salamander of Fairy Tail.

* * *

It was nearing 6 p.m. and Lucy was having a wonderfully buzzed time. She had loved catching up with Orga, making out with Orga, cuddling with Orga, making innuendo jokes at Orga—but now it was time for their date to really begin. She loved how affectionate he was with her as he helped her put on her coat and get her things.

After he had put his own coat on, Lucy pressed her body up against his and stated, "You are so unbelievably sexy."

He gave a low chuckle before he wrapped his strong hands around her waist and lowered down so that his lips were hovering just a few centimeters above her own before he whispered, "That's funny, you took the words right out of my mouth."

Lucy gave her own feral growl before she attacked his face with her lips by wrapping her arms around his neck and pushing his body up against his wall. He tasted so deliciously sweet from the wine and fruit, but then she eeped in surprise when he flipped positions on her so that her back was up against the stony wall and he lifted her up so that she could wrap her legs around his waist.

She could feel her core heating up to inferno levels as she gently grinded against him to relieve some of the tension she was feeling. She knew that he had a romantic evening planned ahead for them, but she really wanted him too. But she also wanted to wait. She was really torn and really horny was all that she really knew.

"Tiny," Orga grunted in-between their passionate lip lock just as Lucy's fingers ran through Orga's hair and gently grazed his scalp with her fingernails, "If you keep doing that then we won't be leaving anytime soon."

"What's wrong with that?" Lucy purred playfully in response as Orga's kisses began to trail down her neck.

"Absolutely nothing—and I have a feeling that every time we go somewhere we are going to repeat this conversation" Orga smiled before he tugged on her ear playfully with his teeth, "And I can't wait to pleasure your body senseless and to the point where you can't even speak coherent words."

"Oh my God," Lucy moaned in ecstasy as she felt Orga's lips against her flushed flesh.

Then Orga chuckled and corrected her, "God Slayer."

Lucy giggled at his response, before he kissed her neck one last time before gently kissing her lips. Her heart felt so happy as she looked into his mesmerizing stormy white eyes before he added, "Now, please allow me the pleasure of taking my girlfriend out on a date."

She grinned and replied, "I would love that very much."

She was just about to hop down, when he added, "You don't need to do that, I will teleport us there."

"I love that you can hold me so much," she stated with a smile and quickly readjusted her position so that he was carrying her bridal style, before he walked out of his house holding her close. She snuggled up closer to him the moment the mountain, wintry air hit her skin and grinned when she saw the black lightning dance around them before they bolted towards Crocus.

* * *

The two landed in front of a little store that looked like it had once been an older building in Crocus that was now refurbished for the cooking class. As Orga gently sat Lucy down, she marveled at how beautiful Crocus looked at Christmas time. They were in a romantic looking part of the city and she loved how they had it decorated for Christmas. In the large urns that usually held varying colorful flowers, now all contained Christmas and wintry ferns that were decorated with lights. The city glowed with a holiday spirit. It was beautiful.

"This looks so much fun!" Lucy exclaimed as a couple went by on a horse drawn carriage.

Orga was relieved that Lucy was already enjoying herself as he took her hand and held it gently. He wanted everything about tonight to be perfect and to show her how much he had grown to admire her and how she had taught him to have fun in life.

Once Lucy was done admiring the décor of Crocus, the couple walked into the cooking class building and they were greeted by a young woman who smiled at them and asked, "Welcome, do you two have a reservation?"

"Yes, it's under Orga Nanagear," the God Slayer replied.

The woman checked her list and nodded before she stated, "Your table is the third one in the back. We will have two other couples joining us tonight. May I ask what type of beverage you both would like? Our chef likes to make sure that everyone has an enjoyable time, because food is fun."

"Food is fun," Lucy agreed with a laugh before she asked, "What do you offer?"

As the woman began to list all of the wines, beers, soft drinks, and various bottled water that they had, Orga gently rubbed Lucy's back. His touch always made her feel so safe and she had a flashback memory of them in Mr. Yamagata's library when they were looking for Lupus's key. He made her feel loved and supported and now he was actually her boyfriend and he was treating her and showing her how special he made her feel. She really did love him.

After Orga ordered a dark stout beer and Lucy decided to try a Riesling, the woman offered to take their coats before she wished them an enjoyable date. Lucy and Orga were the first couples to arrive as they went back to their station and both put on their chef aprons and sat on the bar stool for the class to begin.

Lucy saw the menu of items that they would be cooking tonight and stated, "Ohhhh, this looks like a lot of fun! The main dish is learning how to make Chicken Street Tacos!"

When Orga leaned over to look at the menu, Lucy gently rested her head on his shoulder. She loved being able to touch him now whenever she wanted to. Then she heard him say, "The appetizer sounds amazing, chunky guacamole and corn salsa."

She was starting to get hungry with more than just food when she took in Orga's scent, luckily the hostess came and brought them their drinks just as the other two couples walked in. Lucy gave them a polite smile, just as a man came out from the back with an apron and hat on that read 'Chef'.

While the hostess, chef, and the other two couples were getting ready for the class to begin, Lucy looked at Orga and asked with a smile, "So what made you think I would enjoy a class like this?"

Orga smiled back as he reached for his beer and answered, "From what I have learned from you in these past few months, is that you really enjoy learning new things and experiencing things first hand for yourself. You are pretty adventurous, but also food motivated. All things I find very attractive too.

Lucy playfully nudged him before she added, "Food motivated is right—like how you were freaking stingy with giving me desserts while you were training me."

The God Slayer chuckled at the memory before Lucy continued, "However, I am really enjoying this a lot tonight. Just being with you and knowing that you care about me as much as I do you—I am beyond happy right now, Orga."

She felt like her heart had stopped when his eyes locked onto hers and he stated, "You mean more to me than anything, Lucy. I am hopelessly in love with you."

Her faced heated up, along with another part of her body, but before she could respond, the chef announced in a sassy voice, "All right you lovely couples, tonight we are going to spice things up so prepare those taste buds and your bodies for a caliente experience!"

* * *

Lucy had a blast. The other couples were fun and super fun to talk to. One of the couples had actually been married for ten years and the other one had just recently got engaged. The Chef and the hostess were both hilarious and at one point, when Orga was plucking the leaves off of the cilantro stem, the Chef told a joke that made Lucy spit up her wine all over the cilantro. Luckily Orga was so easy going, he just shrugged his shoulders and stated with a grin, "So what if our salsa mix is a little boozey?"

The drinks, the food, and the laughter were beyond enjoyable. Lucy loved learning how to make everything—especially the baked churro chips with a chocolate ganache dip. She felt satisfied and beyond full as they ate the dishes that they had prepared.

As Orga and Lucy put on their coats to leave and said goodbye to everyone, the blonde looked at her boyfriend and asked, "What's next?"

It was nearing 10 p.m. and she didn't care, she didn't want the night to end. When they got outside, she took a deep breath in of the winter night's air and loved that snow was falling even in Crocus. He gently picked her up and replied, "I have something else planned."

"Of course you do," Lucy stated with a smile before she kissed his cheek.

Then the God Slayer teleported them away.

* * *

Lucy was a little surprised when they arrived back at Orga's house. However, he looked very happy as he unlocked his door and led her inside. After they removed their coats, he began to lead her towards his bedroom. She didn't really mind, but then her eyes widened when she saw the large windows in his room already had the curtains pulled back to reveal his pool area. She had thought it was beyond beautiful during her first visit, but now—now she was left speechless.

"I borrowed one of those shield protectors from Mr. Yamagata while you were away this past month," Orga admitted before he bashfully stated, "I hope you like it."

Like couldn't even begin to describe what Lucy was feeling right now. Lucy could see the snow falling down upon the mountain, but then evaporating about ten feet above Orga's pool area. Everywhere around his heated pool there were hundreds of flowers, Christmas lights, floating lights in the pool, and off to the side was a little table that had chocolates, drinks, and soft music playing. It was just romance mixed with enchantment—it was truly magical.

"Orga, this is breathtaking," Lucy stated in awe, "You did this all in a day?"

He grinned and nodded his head before he admitted, "Well last night you told me how you were feeling and I wanted to show you just how wonderful you make me feel."

Lucy felt butterflies in her stomach as Orga pulled her close against him and he stated in a low tone, "Lucy, you are beautiful both inside and out. I am a lucky bastard that I got the chance to know you the way I did—despite everything I had done in the past. You make me enjoy life and have shown me what it means to love others. You are without a doubt amazing, strong, and I only disagreed with your Master on one part of his speech last night."

She looked at Orga quizzically before he added, "To me you are the greatest mage of this age and I feel honored that you chose me to be by your side. I love you, Lucy Heartfilia—and I will love you until my dying breath."

"Orga," Lucy breathily replied, "I love you too."

Then as the snow fell from the heavens above them, Orga gently lifted his finger under Lucy's chin and pressed his lips to hers.

Nothing else needed to be said in that moment between them, because for the first time upon meeting each other—they were at peace with who they were and where they were going together.

Lucy knew without a doubt that they would face many more challenges together, but she knew she could face all of them as long as Orga was by her side.

* * *

Mr. Yamagata awoke from his sleep as his communication lacrima buzzed by his nightstand. His cat yowled in annoyance before it pounced on his head and took off running.

"Crazy cat!" Mr. Yamagata yelled as he put his glasses on and reached for his lacrima. "Who on earth could it be at this hour?" Mr. Yamagata grumbled before he answered, "Who the hell is this?"

In the lacrima appeared his twin brother who let out a sigh and stated, "Well I thought you'd be glad to know that Orga and Lucy are officially a couple."

"WHAT!?" Mr. Yamagata yelled, "When, where, why, and how?"

Dr. Yamagata laughed and answered, "Well the bonds finally solidified. Damn things woke me up out of my sleep. Laxus's bonds to Lucy now look like Gray's and Natsu's—Orga's is now the unbreakable golden knot."

"YES! WAHOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Mr. Yamagata yelled as he jumped up onto his bed and did a little dance of joy.

Then before the two brothers could finish their conversation, Mr. Yamagata heard a thunderous boom and the sound of glass shattering in the entry way to his castle. Dr. Yamagata heard the sound as well and asked, "Brother, are you all right? What was that?"

Mr. Yamagata grew serious and stated, "Brother, I will call you back. There is a murderous intruder here."

Mr. Yamagata then cut off the communication to his brother, before Dr. Yamagata could ask how anyone could break through all of the seals his brother had up protecting his mansion.

The elderly man readied himself as he stepped out of his room and began his decent down into the foyer of his home. He could see three large figures waiting for him when he asked, "Who dares enter my home without my permission?"

"Men who seek vengeance and justice," one of the men spoke out.

As Mr. Yamagata readied several spells and triggered his home to be in defense mode, he asked, "And you thought by destroying my home would get you somewhere?"

Then he stopped dead in his tracks when one of the men asked, "Andromeda is free is she not?"

"How…" Mr. Yamagata began to ask but then he felt as though all of the air had been sucked from his lungs when the man came into light.

"My god…you're…" Mr. Yamagata finally breathed out.

"Yes, that is Perseus—Andromeda's husband," one of the large men stated before he too stepped into the light. He was tall, well built, and had piercing blue eyes before he added, "My name is Hoshi."

Mr. Yamagata felt his blood run cold when Hoshi held up a photo of Lucy at the Fall Festival in her battle against Jura before the man continued in a voice that sounded like butter, "This woman now owns Andromeda, does she not?"

When Mr. Yamagata didn't answer, the final figure stepped forward. Mr. Yamagata recognized the man to be the former owner of Sabertooth—Jiemma. Jiemma looked at him with his dead-like eyes and stated, "That little bitch was a pathetic little weakling until one of my favorites came here with her and made her what she is. Now she has something that belongs to my dear friend here and we tend to get it back."

"Celestial beings are not things," Mr. Yamagata spat out, "They have souls and feelings just like you or I!"

"Perseus," Hoshi sighed out.

Then before Mr. Yamagata could register what had happened, Perseus had him on the ground, on his back, with a sword at his throat.

Mr. Yamagata could sense that there was something off about this spirit, he was unlike any of Lucy's or even Yukino's. There was something dark and twisted about him when Jiemma walked up and stated, "We will destroy Sabertooth, crush Lucy Heartfilia, and kill anyone else who stands in our way."

* * *

**End of Book One**

* * *

 

**NOT SORRY ABOUT BEING A TROLL! xD See you soon, lovelies! :D**

Music references:

'Slow Hands' by Niall Horan

'Roxanne' by The Police

'Right Round (feat. Ke$ha)' by Flo Rida

'Let it Go' by Idina Menzel

'Tale as Old as Time' by Angela Lansbury

'Want to Want Me' by Jason Derulo


	69. Beginning of Book II

**_Gods, Dragons, and Stars: Book II_ **

* * *

Thanks everyone who has found me on AO3 to re-follow this story thus far! I will have another chapter out soon.

I wanted to share just a little bit for my new fans on here before I continue. This story has taken me years to write and it has been a long journey. This story has been plagiarized and/or stolen about Nine times now and I received several death threats when writing this story the first two years over Lucy needing to choose Laxus (or else). So hearing positive comments really does help authors to continue their works, especially when they feel like giving up.

I’m pretty excited at only posting this on AO3 now, because I have received nothing but kindness since switching sites and that is super helpful. I work a pretty crazy, cutthroat job, so when I write, it’s because it is something I really want to do and share my work with people. It’s my way of relieving stress and escaping.

So thank you for all of the love and support and I hope that everyone enjoys Book II! Lucy and Orga will have some good times (and bad) and we have to see what happens to sweet, awkward Laxus!

Lots of love,

ErzaDLaw

Please remember, evil only wins when the good stay silent. 

* * *

 

It was Christmas Eve as Lucy sat at her desk writing a letter to her Mama about this past year. She smiled as the snow continued to fall on Magnolia and with everything that had changed within her life these past few months since the Grand Magic Games; she was stronger, she was an S-Class Mage, she made new friends, saved a lot of young girls, saved some Celestial Spirits, saved all of Fiore, and now had her first real boyfriend.

Her smile grew wider at the thought of her muscular companion and how she couldn't wait for him to show up soon. He had to take a mission earlier in the week with Sting and that was ok with her. While she did love Orga, it was good that they still had some distance between them because in some ways, she felt like she was still finding herself. She didn't want to be one of those girls that lost their identity just because she found a new boyfriend. However, Orga was undoubtedly her new best friend. The late nights they had recently had on the lacrimas just talking about anything made her absolutely sure that he was made for her and her for him. It had been nine days since their first official date, but they had had another one in Magnolia a few days ago before Orga left to go on his mission.

Lucy knew how Orga loved music and for some reason, she felt like doing certain things with him made her feel like she had a real family again. Her favorite ballet was in town and she had procured them two tickets and whereas most men would roll their eyes at going to a two hour ballet production, Orga was more than happy to take her because of his love for music and his love for her. He had enjoyed listening to the symphony of notes as Lucy's eyes sparkled at the Christmas performance before them.

The blonde let out a faint chuckle at the memory of Orga coming to pick her up. He looked dashing in his tuxedo and she couldn't help but make-out with him the moment she opened the door and seeing him holding a bouquet of winter flowers and a box of chocolates. The poor man was covered in glitter for the rest of the evening because of her own make-up and attire; however, the gentle giant of a man did not seem phased at all.

Needless to say that the word got out fast that Lucy and Orga were now public news to all of Fiore because Jason had also been dragged to the ballet to report on the prima ballerina; however, unfortunately for that poor girl's career—the night was filled with Jason reporting on everything Lucy and Orga did. She had to admit that she was a bit pissed off at the man for being so obnoxious. She was a normal girl who wanted to do normal date things with her boyfriend. Orga could quickly sense during the intermission how Lucy was losing patience for Jason, and she had no idea what he had said as he pulled the man aside but Jason immediately left them alone after that.

However, thanks to Jason's lack of self-restraint—Lucy was certain that Minerva was well aware about them being a couple. The thought made her sigh, especially since none of the guilds have been able to locate Jiemma's whereabouts. Everything had been silent. While most people would consider that a blessing, many people—especially Sabertooth and Fairy Tail, knew that it was only a matter of time. But no matter what the future held and the guild wars that were possible to come, Lucy wanted to love and support Orga. She didn't want him or his guild punished for turning over a new leaf and becoming better people that were becoming just as well respected as Fairy Tail.

Then when Lucy stood up to pour herself some more hot cocoa, she heard a light rasp at the door. The blonde quickly sat her cup down on the coffee table and went rushing over to her door. She didn't care how she looked when she ripped open the door to see a smiling Orga at her. Her stomach did jumping jacks when his deep voice greeted her, "Hey Tiny."

"ORGA!" Lucy giggled as she jumped into his masculine arms and laid the biggest 'I missed you kiss' on his mildly chapped lips. Then breathlessly between the kisses she breathed, "I've…missed…you…"

She felt him chuckle in amusement before he stated in a husky voice, "I've missed you too. You are so much better company than Sting."

The blonde laughed in pure delight when they begrudgingly pulled their lips away from each other, but she remained in his embrace as he carried her into her small apartment before she teased, "I'm sure he wasn't  _that_  bad."

"He was," Orga groaned, "Sting can be very naive about some things still."

Lucy's brow arched in curiosity before she asked, "Do I want to know?"

Orga let out a booming laugh and admitted, "Probably not. The poor guy got drunk and then was crying because he doesn't have a girlfriend."

"Awwww," Lucy replied in sympathy, "That's so sad!"

"Yeah, he just kept saying that the girl he likes doesn't even know he exists," Orga said with a shrug to his shoulders.

"Awwwwwwwwwwwwwww," Lucy couldn't help but reply again. The young Sabertooth Mage was definitely on the extroverted side of life; however, he had a really good heart. "Did he tell you who it was?" Lucy asked in curiosity, because if she knew who then maybe she could help in some way.

"He didn't say and I didn't ask," Orga admitted, "Just that I guess he ran into her a couple of weeks ago and then again at your Guild's S-Class party."

Lucy's eyes brightened up before she stated, "So she's a mage! Maybe even in my guild!"

"Maybe," Orga shrugged as he took a seat on her small loveseat. The man looked ridiculous and cute all at the same time in her tiny apartment.

After she went over to her kitchen and poured him a cup of hot cocoa as well, she went back and sat next to him and added, "Well I want to know so I can help him."

Orga chuckled a laugh and asked, "Why do you want to help him?"

She shrugged her shoulders with a smile before she picked up her cup from the coffee table and stated, "I dunno—he was really supportive of us."

Orga smiled warmly at the honest statement of his girlfriend before nodded and admitted, "Well we are the reason that made him drink."

"WHAT?!" Lucy asked in shock.

"He heard us talking all lovey-dovey to each other after he had had a few," Orga sighed, "And he admitted that he wanted a relationship like ours."

"AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW," Lucy groaned in agony and cuteness before she placed her hand over her heart, "That is so precious!"

Orga just shook his head and chuckled, "The man is a closet hopeless romantic apparently."

Lucy made a mock frown on her face and nodded her head in determination and stated, "I'm going to help him and get him on a date with this woman and you, Orga, are going to help me!"

"I am?" the God Slayer asked in shock.

The blonde smiled at him, because even though he was all soft and squishy on the inside with her, he was still a pretty closed off person to most people—besides her spirits, Eve, and Yukino. His gruffness was adorable to her. Instead she just picked up her own fresh cup of cocoa, stretched out her legs across his lap and confirmed, "Yep! You're my boyfriend so you are my partner in crime now."

The Lightning Mage smiled before he took a drink from his own mug and replied, "Anything you say, Tiny."

Lucy smiled in delight as the couple sat on her loveseat catching up on everything throughout the week before she admitted that there was something really important that she wanted to show him.

* * *

Lucy let out a heavy sigh as she stood in front of the old cottage in the woods outside of Magnolia. She felt the strong hand of her boyfriend gently touch the lower part of her back before his deep voice asked, "So what do you think, Tiny?"

She took a deep breath in before she admitted, "I think it is going to be a lot of work—but honestly Orga…I'm completely in love with it."

As the snow continued to fall from the sky, Lucy smiled as she imagined what it would look like next year at this time. The wooden and stone cottage was nestled into the forest outside of Magnolia and in the front of the cottage was a small pond that was currently iced over with a small stream running from it. The ivy vines that covered the home were all frozen, but she knew in the spring they would be covered in the most beautiful wildflowers.

She looked up at the man holding her before she added, "I want it."

He smiled back at her and replied with a chuckle, "I think this is an excellent choice. Besides, it might not be too much work. Isn't your guild accustomed to rebuilding things a lot?"

She let out an agreeing laugh before she admitted, "Yes, Erza, Gray, and Natsu will no doubt help me. Cana, Gajeel, and Lily even came by to look at it with me and Gajeel admitted he could help with a lot of the metal and iron work. However, I really want to see my boyfriend swing a hammer as well."

Orga let out a booming laugh and added, "Well, I think I can help with that."

Lucy grinned widely as she beckoned Orga to lean down so that she could kiss his masculine lips; however, their moment was interrupted by the realtor who had shown back up as the woman screeched, "Have you made a decision yet?!"

The blonde let out a low growl that only Orga could hear, which made the God Slayer smile in pride, before she replied to the woman in the overly tight purple dress and red curly hair, "Yes, I will take it."

"Excellent!" the woman cheered, "I have all of the paperwork here, so let's go on in and sign for it. How wonderful that you are buying a home the day before Christmas. This is usually my slow season."

Lucy and Orga followed the yapping woman into Lucy's future home. She had almost immediately fallen in love with it earlier in the week when the Realtor showed it to her. However, Lucy wanted to get Orga's opinion on it first. The three story cottage had been abandoned for over five years, so it was in need of major remodeling and updating. It was a lovely two bedroom cottage. The first floor contained the guest bedroom and bathroom, along with a surprisingly large living room and connected kitchen. She knew she would definitely want to add an attached deck off of the kitchen area so that in the springtime she could sit outside and enjoy the birds while she worked on her novel. It was so peaceful and serene. But what really sold Lucy on the house was the unique observatory on the third floor. Every angle of it allowed Lucy to view the forest or the night sky to a phenomenal degree. She also loved how she had to approach it with the ladder that was located in her master bedroom on the second floor. It was unique and unlike any other house she had ever seen. Plus, what really made the house great was the size of the master bathroom—it completely outmatched her current one and with some updates…she could easily make it as spa-like as her bathroom at Mr. Yamagata's castle.

* * *

It took an hour for Lucy to sign for all of the paperwork. She was pleased with herself that she had gotten the house for such a steal, because it had been on the market so long. She barely made a dent in the money that Mr. Yamagata had given her. Plus now that she could go on as many S-Class missions as she wanted, she could easily afford the home.

After she had signed the very last line. The woman smiled at her, handed her the keys and said, "Congratulations, Lucy Heartfilia, on owning your very first home."

Lucy squealed in delight as she jumped into Orga's arms and planted an intense kiss on his lips. The man chuckled at her enthusiasm and the realtor quickly excused herself so that the couple could enjoy this moment together.

Once the couple was alone, Lucy breathily pulled away from the kiss and stated, "Thank you so much, Orga, for coming and looking at it with me."

"Of course, Tiny. That's what boyfriends do," Orga grinned in response.

"Mmmm," Lucy nodded in agreement before she added, "But it still means the world to me. I can't wait to get started on it!"

Orga watched in pride as Lucy excitedly began to point out things in the kitchen around them and began to talk wildly about everything she was going to change. His heart and soul felt warm by the bubbly blonde twirling about. They had been official for over a week now and he had loved every minute of it.

"Oh my goodness, look at the time!" Lucy cried out, "We need to get back to my apartment so I can ice the Christmas cookies for the party tonight!"

Orga just smiled as Lucy grabbed his hand and led him out of her new home.

* * *

Lucy was giddy as she hummed jingle bells to herself as she iced one of the Rudolf shaped Christmas cookies in front of her. She looked over at Orga who was working on one of the star shaped cookies and smiled. She couldn't wait to give him his present tomorrow morning and she was excited that tonight and tomorrow morning that they would be spending time with Fairy Tail, then tomorrow night they would be joining Sabertooth's Christmas party. Lucy felt like she now belonged to two families instead of one.

Her face blushed at the thought of her presents to Orga. While she got him something that he would love, because of his love for music, she also got him something that she had never ever done before—lingerie that she would wear. While they had been friends for a few months now, they had only been dating for over a week. While she knew that millions of people seemed to randomly hook up all of the time, like Gajeel and Cana. They weren't even friends when they hooked up during their training. At least she and Orga had been friends for a few months. However, she knew that she was different from most people out there. But there was something about being with Orga felt so right and she wanted to be with him in every way that she could.

Then she nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt Orga's lips gently graze her ears when he whispered huskily, "What are you thinking about?"

"Kyyyyyaaaaaa!" she screeched in surprise and by the ticklish nature of what he did before she stammered out, "U-uh well…was just thinking about my new house…"

He gave her a knowing smile that was basically calling her out on her own bullshit lie. She couldn't lie worth a crap and he knew it. Then she got a brilliant idea and touched Virgo's and Andromeda's key to signal for help before she added, "Orga, this is going to sound really weird, but tonight…do you want to stay the night at my new house after the party?"

He arched his brow and replied, "I don't mind, but does it have water or anything—or electricity?"

"Not yet," Lucy admitted before she pointed to her keys, "But with the help of some friends, I think it can be semi-acceptable tonight. We can just get pre-ready for bed here."

Orga gave a light chuckle before he agreed, "Sounds like a plan—or rather it sounds like you have a plan."

She gave him a grin and a wink before she replied, "You have no idea." Then she bit the head of Rudolph off and groaned with her mouth full, "Oh my god this is so good. Here try!"

Orga accepted the offering as he bit off Rudolf's leg and admitted, "These are really damn good."

"Thank you," Lucy replied with a smile as she successfully changed topics so that she would not blow her cover. Virgo and Andromeda relayed that they successfully got the message and would begin the preparations for Orga's first present from Lucy and a very special night for her. Then she turned back to her cookies before she added, "It is actually my Mama's old recipe."

"Really?" Orga asked in surprise.

Lucy nodded her head and admitted, "Yep, before my parents became wealthy, my Mama really loved to bake. Luckily Capricorn had saved a lot of her old recipes. This is one of my favorites."

Then before Orga could ask what some of her other favorite one were, there was a knock on Lucy's door.

"It's open!" the blonde called out and in walked Natsu, Happy, Gray, and Erza—all carrying their own goodies for the festivities tonight.

"Hey Orga!" Natsu called out as he plopped down on Lucy's loveseat.

"Hey guys," Orga smiled at Lucy's team, who had more or less adopted him as one of their own.

The blonde looked at her friends and asked, "What all did you guys bring?"

"Natsu and I brought smoked fish!" Happy stated in excitement.

Everyone sweatdropped because smoked fish wasn't really a considered a Christmas treat to many people. However, Erza spoke up and said, "I brought a delicious strawberry crème cake with a Santa on top."

"Ice for the drinks," Gray stated nonchalantly as he took a seat next to Natsu.

Orga had really come to love the inclusion of Lucy's friends had with him. Sure he occasionally had to deal with Gray and Natsu randomly threatening to kill him before they broke out into smiles, or Happy reminding him to never call Lucy fat—like he would ever do anything as idiotic as that. But the one that gave him chills down his spine was when Erza eyed him as she nonchalantly sharpened her swords. They were a close knit group that loved the Heart of their team dearly. He was in love with this woman and he had never felt so happy in his entire life.

However, Orga's concentration was broken when Natsu pointed under Lucy's bed and asked, "So when do we get to open our presents, Luce?"

"Tomorrow!" Lucy scolded her friend, "On Christmas Day."

Natsu sighed in exasperation as the friends all began to talk about the presents that they had gotten for the other guild members.

Orga smiled at the loving interaction between the most destructive team in Fiore. Then a darkness crept over his mind as he thought about how his own guild was becoming this close; however, the threat of Jiemma still lingered over them.

Then as though she could sense it, Lucy reached her hand over and gently squeezed his hand. She gave him a faint smile that reassured his mind and his heart that no matter what challenges they faced, they would all get through it together.

* * *

Less than an hour later, Team Natsu and Orga arrived at the guild hall where decorations covered the place and "A Holly Jolly Christmas" blared over the speakers.

Orga couldn't help but chuckle because it appeared that half of the guild was already hammered on the hard-egg nog and cider that was bubbling out of fountains. He looked over and saw Laxus and his team sitting at one table. The blonde Slayer's eyes immediately darted to him and Lucy and then Laxus gave a smirk and nodded towards them. He was glad that everything was cool between them and thanked all the gods he could name that Lucy had chosen him. Lucy was a perfect woman in every way; however, he was still a little surprised about it himself. Laxus was almost every girl's dream man and he was just him—just Orga. But luckily the blonde slayer held no ill will towards them and wished them the best.

When he felt Lucy tug on his hand, he immediately followed her and her team to their seats just after they all dropped their food dishes off on a large table. It wasn't long until Mira came up with drinks for them to try and as she handed Orga his drink, the Take Over Mage winked at him and said, "Orga, I added a little bit of  _MINT_  into your egg nog."

He noticed how his girlfriend's face heated up, but he didn't really understand why, so he just responded, "Umm…thanks?"

"You'll thank me later!" Mira said with a heavy pat to his back.

Orga smiled when he felt Lucy nuzzle into his side and he quickly wrapped his arm on the back of the bench that they were sitting on so that she could get closer. He liked how snuggly she was and wasn't afraid to show that they were a couple in front of others. While they weren't as bad as Cana and Gajeel, who Orga could see "hiding" in the dark corner in a violent make-out session. It was still subtle enough that made Orga very happy.

Then everyone grew quiet when Master Makarov stood on top of the bar and drunkenly yelled, "Listen up, Brats! We've had a good year. We returned, got our guild back, won the Grand Magic Games, and now we have six new S-Class Mages! An old man like me couldn't be happier at how his children have grown. We have a bright future ahead of us, so enjoy the night and everyone get merry!"

Cheers erupted in the guild as everyone took a drink and Lucy was beyond happy. She was now an S-Class mage, with her friends and family, had a new home, and was completely in love with the man that made her realize just how strong she really was. She looked around at the guild that was celebrating and knew that this next year would be full of changes and exciting adventures.

* * *

It was late when Orga and Lucy arrived back at her apartment; however, she wasn't tired at all. The party was still going at Fairy Tail, well for the people who weren't passed out drunk. It had been a fun night full of games, laughter, and drinks. At one point in the night, all of the new S-class mages were playing a card game and everything got so wild that a typical Fairy Tail fight broke out—that was until Erza and Mira scared the shit out of everyone and put them back in their places. Lucy was glad that some things didn't change this past year.

However, her heart was currently beating faster than it ever had before with her nerves. She had received word from Virgo and Andromeda that everything had been set up in her new home. Now she just needed to mentally prepare herself in the bathroom before she followed through with her plans.

She was so nervous when she stammered out, "U-um, d-do you need to use the restroom before me?"

"No, I'm ok," Orga replied with a smile before he took a seat on her loveseat, "I'll be here until you are ready."

Lucy just nodded and quickly darted into her bathroom. She knew that Orga was too smart and he knew that she was up to something, he just didn't know what. Then when she got into her bathroom, closed the door, and ran over the hamper to see if Virgo left the intended package for her. She sighed in relief, but then groaned when she saw the note written from the mischievous spirit:

_Hime-sama:_

_I am honored that you trusted me with this secret mission. Please punish, Orga appropriately with this attire._

_-Virgo_

Then she couldn't help but grin when she saw Andromeda's exquisite handwriting that said:

_Lucy:_

_Take a deep breath. Everything will be fine. He loves you completely and already thinks you are perfect. This will be the greatest night of his life._

_Love, Andromeda_

She let out a steadying breath before she opened the package and then practically screamed and threw it across the room. Then she heard Orga ask in a worried tone, "Tiny, is everything ok?"

"Uhh," Lucy replied, "Uh…y-yes. Fine! I'm fine!"

She knew he probably wasn't convinced when she retrieved the package, finished opening it up, and groaned…she was supposed to where this for her first time? Gods it was so revealing! Then she gingerly held up the first piece that was her top. The only thing she could think of to describe it was 'Slutty Christmas Angel'. She gulped at its appearance…it was a white baby doll top that had a see-through mid-drift and satin triangles with white soft poofs around the breast area to give it a Christmas effect. Then she felt her mouth go dry when she saw that the underwear was a white lace thong with the same poofy feather like fabric along the top of it.

She quickly looked up at her bathroom ceiling and whispered to herself, "You can do this, Lucy. You are beautiful. He thinks you are beautiful. You got this."

She kept trying to calm her excited nerves as she freshened up and then prepared for what she thought would be the most magical night of her existence thus far.

* * *

Lucy's heart was pounding loudly when Orga landed them outside of her new home. She had put on a large heavy coat, leggings, and boots over her lingerie before she left the bathroom at her apartment so the man had no idea what kind of night he was actually in for. Then she smiled when she saw the soft glow of lights coming from the observatory.

Orga smiled as he let Lucy down so she could unlock the door for them. He too looked up at the observatory as he readjusted their overnight packs on his shoulder. Lucy was adorable when she was trying to be romantic and he was a lucky bastard as she opened the door and beckoned him to come inside.

He could hear her heart beat sporadically as they made their way through the cold and darkened house that was only lit by lacrima tea lights sporadically placed. He didn't know if he should be nervous too, as they began to climb the stairs to the observatory where more light was coming from. Then when he emerged at the top of the stairs, he didn't follow her into the circular shaped room at first because he stood on the ladder dumbfounded at the sight before him.

The room that earlier had been bare wood, cobwebs, and glass was now the most romantic thing he had ever seen. In the middle of the room was a soft looking feather mattress with tons of winter prepared blankets and pillows for them. Stringed Christmas lights and candles were giving the room a soft glow as the snow fell outside. A lacrima space heater was also available along with a bottle of wine chilling, chocolates, water, and soft sensual instrumental Christmas music playing.

He looked over at his girlfriend who was blushing like crazy before she asked timidly, "A-are you going to come up?"

He just nodded his head—slightly dumbfounded and stood out of the way as she closed the little trap door and turned on the little lacrima space heater to keep them warm throughout the night. He gently sat down their packs and watched as Lucy nervously shifted in front of him. He pulled her close to him and stated in a husky voice, "Tiny, this is wonderful."

He felt his heart stop when she looked up at him with those big chocolate eyes of hers before she breathed out in a soft, seductive voice, "There's more to tonight then just this."

She gave him a sheepish smile when she put her hand on her coat and asked timidly, "C-could you go sit on the mattress for a minute…and turn around."

Orga tried to gulp, but somehow all of the liquid in his mouth disappeared as he nodded like a dumbass and quickly followed Lucy's instructions after he removed his shoes and coat. He sometimes cursed his God Slayer abilities, and right now he didn't know whether to thank them or hate them as he painfully listened to Lucy as she removed her coat, boots, and leggings. He didn't want to get his hopes up too much about what would happen tonight, but he knew he wanted to be with her and make love to her. However, he was more than continent to wait on her until she was ready because she was worth every fucking minute of his life. She liked to claim that he helped her become stronger and see the value in herself—well she did the same to him. He no longer regretted the past, or hated himself, instead he looked forward to a future that he could shape with his own hands and with her by his side.

Lucy tried to steady her breath as the coolness of the winter air still lingered in the room, hardening her nipples under her delicate lingerie. She bit her lip as she saw Orga stiff as a board on the mattress with his back to her. She felt so safe with him and she knew that he would always be there for her, no matter what and that is why she wanted to be with him now.

As she gently tiptoed over to the mattress, she felt him slightly stiffen when her soft hands touched him before she whispered, "Orga, will you um…will you look at me."

She smiled like a vixen when she saw him take a steadying breath before he turned around and his magical eyes went wide at her appearance. She watched his throat contract from swallowing as his eyes took in her curvaceous form.

For the first time in Orga's life, he was fairly certain that he had died. He could hear nothing, feel nothing, except see the beautiful angelic woman before him. Her eyes were glowing and her sultry smile matched her attire. However, what Orga found enchanting about her was the way her cheeks still blushed out of nerves, the way her soft blonde hair fell down around her smooth shoulder blades and how her eyes looked at him with so much love. He was hooked for all eternity.

She bit her lip nervously and whispered, "Um, Merry Christmas, Orga."

It was well after midnight now and he smiled as he leaned in towards her soft pink lips and whispered back huskily, "Merry Christmas, Tiny. You look so beautiful."

He felt her smile before their lips brushed up against each other. She tasted like the sweetest Christmas miracle he had ever had with a hint of sugar and spice. He had no idea how far she wanted to go tonight though as he gently cupped her face to deepen the kiss more. He wanted to admire her in that tempting outfit and ravage her, but he wanted to be gentle and take it slow too. Either way…she was killing him—and he was now rock hard and ready for her.

Lucy smiled as Orga's lips drove her crazy. She knew how gentleman-like he was and he wasn't going to push her any further than she was ready to go, so she knew she had to make her intentions perfectly clear now as she pressed both of her hands on his chest to guide him down onto the soft mattress. Their lips were still intertwined and Orga carefully placed his hands on her hips just before she straddled his still jean covered manhood.

She gently broke away from the kiss as the large God Slayer before her laid under her completely mesmerized. She smiled at him as she whispered, "Orga, I want you."

She saw his broad chest expand from the deep breath as his eyes finally received permission to drink all of her in. He felt like he was dreaming as he took in Lucy's womanly figure. Gods she was the most breathtaking creature he had ever laid eyes on. Her ivory skin seemed to glisten in the candle light as her voluptuous curves beckoned him to explore. Her large breasts moved from the pacing of her breath and her loved how her sides dipped in before those tempting hips flared out. He let his hand trail down her sides and onto her soft legs. He wanted to see more of her but he wanted her and she clearly wanted to see more of him as she tugged on the hem of his shirt and began to bring it up over his head.

Their lips collided once more and Orga allowed himself to feel more of her body as his masculine hands drifted up over her tight and barely covered ass. He groaned a little when he realized that she was wearing a thong and that she was starting to get very aroused on top of him. Her scent nearly overwhelmed him and made him want to flip her on her back and pleasure her senseless. But he let her stay in control as her kisses trailed over his jaw line, down his neck, and he leaned his head back and groaned even louder when her tongue gently raked over the tattoos on his chest. She was slowly torturing him in the best way possible.

Lucy ached in a mix of pain and pleasure as she straddled the man that she loved. His hands felt amazing, but at the same time she wanted them everywhere all at once. She knew he was being polite and she knew that in some ways they would have to take the night slow because it was her first time, but as she seduced the man under her—she felt like she was about to explode.

After she gently raked her fingernails over his chest, she leaned up and positioned her breasts right in front of his face before she whispered in his hear, "Orga, I want you to touch me…everywhere."

She grinned when the God Slayer didn't hesitate any longer and flipped her over on her back and positioned himself between her legs. She opened them eagerly for him as his lips captivated hers and his strong hands cupped her breasts and gave them a firm enough squeeze that elicited a gasp from between her lips.

"Gods, you are so beautiful," Orga groaned above her.

"Mmmmm, and you are devilishly handsome, My God Slayer," Lucy purred as she reached her hands down to tug on his belt.

He gave her that cocky grin that she loved so much and just before he undid it, a loud buzzing sound came from Lucy's pack. The two looked over at the vibrating pack and Lucy shrugged her shoulders and tried to kiss Orga again. However, the moment that their lips touched, Orga's pack began to vibrate as well. Then Lucy's began to vibrate again alongside it.

The two looked at each other and then realization hit them before Orga gently helped her up and they went to retrieve their communication devices. Then Orga answered his, just as Lucy answered hers. She could hear Laxus's voice talking to Orga as Erza's face lit up her screen. The red haired mage quickly blushed and stammered out, "U-Umm…s-sorry to bother you…L-L-Lucy…"

Lucy looked at the woman curiously before she remembered that she probably looked like a hot sexy mess and was in lingerie. The blonde quickly grabbed one of the blankets near her and stated, "Sorry about that, what's wrong?"

Her dear friend looked at her with worry and replied, "You and Orga need to get back here immediately. Dr. Yamagata just arrived, it's not good—he said that his brother, Mr. Yamagata is missing."

Lucy remained frozen for a minute before Erza asked her, "Are you ok?"

The blonde just nodded her head before she cut the communication off. She didn't know what to feel or think as she looked over at her boyfriend. Orga's eyes were filled with worry and when he opened his arms up, so that she could crawl into his lap, she felt tears escape from her eyes as she pressed into the man that made her feel safe.


	70. Chapter 70

**Merry Christmas, Everyone!!! :D This is a short chapter, but I wanted to go ahead and get something out there while I was on break. I have a few other stories that I am going to finish up first and then I will start pumping these chapters out again pretty regularly. However, until that time—the updates might be a tad sporadic.**

**Enjoy and thanks to everyone who has found me over here on AO3! :)**

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“Tiny,” Orga whispered in a caring voice as Lucy clutched onto him tighter.

“Orga…I…” Lucy tried to say as her boyfriend held her close. Her heart hurt from both the fear of something happening to Mr. Yamagata and the fear that Jiemma was finally coming to attack everyone. She had no idea if the two were connected yet or not, but with everything happening…it was just too much of a coincidence.

“We will find him,” Orga reassured her troubled mind as he kissed her head, “We will get him back.”

She just nodded her head sadly in understanding and allowed Orga to help her up. She felt like a zombie as he helped her back into her clothes and she vaguely registered him telling her that they could stop by her apartment first to get her some regular clothes. However, much to her relief, Andromeda and Virgo both appeared and Virgo had brought an extra outfit so that they could go to the guild right away and the two spirits promised to take care of everything here.

Orga smiled at the interaction between Lucy and her spirits. In a way, he felt like Andromeda and Virgo were like sisters he never had as he watched them help his petrified girlfriend. He knew Lucy well enough to know that she was deep in thought and needed her space for a moment, even though he wanted to hold and protect her against every horrible thing the world was probably about to throw at them. Yet he kept his distance for now and would wait for her to come to him. He never wanted to make her feel inferior, because he remembered how much she struggled with that when they were first becoming friends.

After Lucy had changed, she reached out for her boyfriend who was there in a flash before she stated, “I guess we should go to the guild to see Dr. Yamagata…”

Orga nodded his head and allowed Lucy to jump up into his arms and he held her close. He felt her nuzzle into his neck before she breathed out, “Orga, I’m scared…what if they…what if they killed him…”

“Tiny,” Orga whispered gently, “We don’t know what has happened yet. However, right now, we have to believe that we will find him.”

Lucy tried not to let her dark thoughts carry her away as Orga held her close and teleported them to the guild.

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The guild was unearthly quiet compared to how it was just a little bit ago. Orga looked around the room and saw that several people were hung over or still drunk and trying to sober themselves up quickly. He looked over at the bar where he saw Laxus nodding for him to head that way, just as Lucy jumped down out of his arms. However, she stayed clutched onto his arm for support as they made their way over to Laxus, Master Makarov, and a disheveled looking Dr. Yamagata.

The old Doctor looked towards them and blinked in surprise before he cried, “Lucy! Orga! Thank goodness you are here!”

Master Makarov looked at them with kind eyes before he added, “Sorry for disturbing you after you left, but Dr. Yamagata just showed up here.”

Orga watched as Mira poured coffee for several members of the guild, starting with Team Natsu and Laxus’s team, just as Erza joined them in the discussion. Lucy just nodded at Master Makarov before she looked at Dr. Yamagata and asked, “What happened?”

Dr. Yamagata took a deep breath before he admitted, “I felt your connection…”

Lucy and Orga looked at each other curiously before Dr. Yamagata clarified, “My apologizes, the moment that Lucy told Orga that she chose him, the force of the connection was so loud that it woke me from my slumbers.”

Lucy remembered that Dr. Yamagata was also a matchmaking wizard, so she nodded her head in understanding before she asked, “Then what happened?”

Dr. Yamagata still looked pretty shaken from the events before he continued, “I called him and as we were talking…he told me that he would call me back because there was someone there with a murderous intent. As you both, Lucy and Orga, are well aware—not many people could break into my brother’s fortress. He is one of the strongest mages in all of Earthland. When he didn’t call me back soon, I immediately went to find him. This was a week ago and I wanted to check on everything myself before I overreacted. But then I got there…and…and…”

Dr. Yamagata started wailing and Master Makarov was rubbing the man’s back and trying to hand him a drink to soothe him, just as Laxus handed Orga and Lucy a letter and replied darkly, “He found this.”

Orga’s eyes narrowed as Lucy accepted the letter from Laxus. He could hear Lucy’s heartrate quicken and her breath became sporadic to the point where he gently touched her shoulder to sooth her. However, he tried to stay calm himself as he read the letter that had dried blood stains all over it…

_Give us Andromeda and Lupus or all of Earthland will suffer—starting with the old man._

_-Hoshi_

Orga caught Lucy before she could collapse to the ground and Laxus looked at him with concern when Andromeda and Lupus both appeared before the guild. The two spirits looked concerned before Lupus was the one that spoke up and said, “We felt Lucy’s fear for us—what happened?”

The God Slayer looked at his Celestial friends with sorrow, before Lucy whispered, “A man named Hoshi wants you…”

“Is this the one that has Mr. Yamagata?” Andromeda asked with worry laced in her voice.

Lucy just nodded her head; however, it was Dr. Yamagata that finally spoke up and stated fiercely, “Lucy Heartfilia! I know my brother and he would never, ever, not in a million years ever want you to give up your spirit friends!”

Everyone remained silent before Lucy regained her composure and stated in a tone that made Erza grin with pride, “I would never give up or betray my friends and this Hoshi will pay for taking Mr. Yamagata.”

Orga felt a swell of pride in his chest and the gleam in Lucy’s eyes were something to behold. He watched as she summoned out Canes Venatici and the Hunting Dogs could sense the importance of her call when she held out the letter to them and asked, “Can you trace the man who wrote this?”

The dogs both sniffed the letter before the first one sneezed and answered so that only she, Andromeda, and Lupus could hear, “Whoever wrote this was clever, there is something masking the scent—like a spell.”

The second dog spoke, “If possible, we could check where the letter was discovered. There has to be some sort of trace.”

Lucy nodded her head before she admitted “If that fails then there is at least something of Mr. Yamagata’s you could track hopefully.” Then she turned to Dr. Yamagata and asked, “You don’t happen to have anything you brought with you do you—other than the letter that belongs to your brother? Canes Venatici can find anyone in Earthland with the right scent.”

“I’m afraid not,” Dr. Yamagata spoke with sorrow, “Had I realized you had the ability to track him then I would have brought something.”

“It’s ok,” Lucy replied with a faint smile, before she looked at Orga who nodded his head in understanding. They hadn’t been dating that long, but they had been through a lot together as friends that he knew what she was thinking before she turned to Master Makarov and stated, “Master…I can’t let my friend suffer; however, I don’t know what impacts this will have on Fairy Tail. People could get hurt.”

Laxus and Erza both turned towards their Master as they waited for a response before the old man chuckled a bit and replied, “My dear Lucy, do you really think we would let you do this alone? That’s not very Fairy Tail. Mr. Yamagata took one of my children and helped mold her into one of the most powerful mages of this age.”

The blonde felt her heart swell with pride and relief quickly washed over her before Makarov added, “Besides, I do not believe this Hoshi is working alone. It is too much of a coincidence that this is happening now—so close to Jiemma’s threat.”

Lucy and Orga both looked at each other because the two had thought something very similar before Makarov stated, “Go see what Canes Venatici can find out and we will work on getting everyone sobered up here.”

Lucy nodded her head in understanding when Natsu finally yelled over at them, “OI! LUCY ISN’T GOING ALONE!”

“I’m not,” Lucy replied to her friend with a smile, “Orga will be going too.”

“But what if it’s a trap?” Erza asked in a concerned voice, “If we all stay here, we won’t reach you in time.”

“My brother’s spells were put back up,” Dr. Yamagata admitted, “That means only myself, Lucy, and Orga can even enter the castle. It’s his safeguard.”

Lucy put her hand up to her chin before she whispered, “I’d love to figure out how they broke those—Mr. Yamagata is quite clever and whoever did that must be incredibly powerful or incredibly smart.”

Finally Andromeda spoke, “They would have to be on equal par with my corrupted state to break through his barriers.”

Lucy could feel her boyfriend tense up, because only they knew how powerful that really was. Then Laxus spoke up, “My team and I will go to Shirotsume and stay at the inn. That way if Lucy and Orga need us, we can get to them quickly—or if something else happens we can travel fast enough to make it back for reinforcements.”

Orga and Lucy both smiled at Laxus before she replied, “Thank you, Laxus.”

The Lightning Dragon Slayer just nodded his head before Master Makarov cleared his throat and stated, “It’s settled. Laxus and The Raijinshu will travel with Lucy and Orga. Erza, if you could call Master Sting and the others to inform them of the situation that would be most helpful.”

Erza gave their Master a firm nod and left to follow out her instructions; however, it was Laxus that asked, “If Canes Venatici can track anyone, why have we not tried that on Minerva or Jiemma?”

Lucy’s eyes widened in shock; however, it was Orga that answered, “I thought of that a few weeks ago. However, my guild couldn’t find a single thing that once belonged to them. They’ve also been gone long enough that their scents are nowhere to be found.”

Laxus smirked before he chuckled, “Show off.”

Orga just shrugged his shoulders and Lucy couldn’t help but grin at how her boyfriend thought of her to help him and knew about her and her spirits so well. It was very relieving that someone had so much faith in her.

Then after she gave his hand a firm squeeze, she turned towards her spirits and stated, “We will leave within the hour and I’ll call you back out once we reach Mr. Yamagata’s castle.”

The spirits all nodded and disappeared back into their realm before the blonde turned to Laxus and asked, “Do you think your team could be ready to go in thirty minutes? I can have Draco fly us all there and we can drop you off at Shirotsume on the way.”

Laxus gave her a nod and replied, “Sure thing,” before he motioned for his team to gather their things, including Juvia who was now a member.

“Thank you,” Lucy added to the Lightning Dragon Slayer.

The man just gave her a smile before he went upstairs to grab his travel pack. Then Lucy turned towards Dr. Yamagata and Master Makarov before she replied, “We will report something back tonight.”

Makarov just nodded; however, Dr. Yamagata wiped a few tears away before he admitted, “Thank you, Lucy. My brother spoke very fondly of you and I know if anyone can find him—then it’s you.”

The blonde just smiled at him before she squeezed Orga’s hand and they left to go prepare. She had no idea what was about to come, but with Orga now at her side—she knew that she would be an unstoppable force and this Hoshi was going to pay for taking Mr. Yamagata and threatening to tear her family apart.

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**Please Comment, Kudos, and Bookmark!! :D**


	71. Chapter 71

**Happy 5 Year Anniversary everybody!!! I can’t believe it has been five years since I posted the first chapter of this story. So much has changed in my life as I reflect on where I was at then versus now. I will say though I think I look sexier…so that’s a plus! xD**

**Thank you everybody for your support and love. I hope you enjoy this much anticipated chapter and I apologize for typos. It is a long day and I need to get my one-shot posted tonight too.**

**Enjoy!!**

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Lucy and Orga stood outside of Mr. Yamagata’s castle on top of Samui Yama as the wind whipped around them. Draco had just dropped off Laxus and his team in Shirotsume before they reached the top of the mountain where the couple stood and saw how Dr. Yamagata was correct. There was little to no evidence at all that there had been an attack with Mr. Yamagata’s regeneration spells in place. It made Lucy worried that they would find no trace of the attackers.

After Draco had returned to the Celestial Realm, she looked up at her boyfriend and couldn’t help it when she reached out to him for comfort. She knew she was a lot stronger now than she was just three months ago, but something about having the large, muscular mage next to her reassured her greatly. Not only did he make her feel safe, but his general easy manner eased her mind and let her feel comfortable in the fact that he would be there for her and have her back no matter what.

“Are you ready, Tiny?” Orga asked her gently just before he gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

She nodded her head before she held out Canes Venatici’s key and summoned the loyal dog companions. Everyone immediately went to high alert as the two dogs instantly began their hunt for any clues. As they made their way to the front door, Lucy could feel Orga stiffen before he stated in a grim tone, “Andromeda was right.”

Lucy’s eyes widened in concern as Orga opened the door for them before she asked, “About what?”

“The smell in the area,” Orga responded, “It is exactly like when Andromeda appeared to us that night and tried to destroy everything.”

Canes Venatici stopped to listen to Orga and nodded at each other as their mad hunt throughout the castle began. Lucy closed the castle doors behind them and watched as they instantly locked before she asked Orga, “So do you think this is the work of Celestial Magic?”

For a brief moment, it felt like the world had stopped spinning before Orga whispered back to her, “Yes.”

She tried to take a steadying breath as she clutched onto Orga’s arm for support. She felt both a mixture of sadness and pure anger. Andromeda still struggled with everything that had happened to her and the thought of another Celestial being out there in that same corrupted stated made her want to punch somebody in the face.

She watched in silence for a moment before Canes Venatici rejoined them in the main hall of the castle. It was nearing dawn and after the chain of events that had happened in the past twelve hours, Lucy was starting to feel like a zombie. As the two hunting dogs focused in a spot in particular on the floor, Lucy leaned against Orga and asked, “Do you think Hoshi is a Celestial being going by another name or do you think he corrupted one of the existing keys out there?”

Orga took a deep breath before he admitted, “That I don’t know, but from what I can tell about this room—the presence of multiple people still lingers. There is clearly a spell though, because every time I feel like I’m close to it—it slips from my mind.”

Lucy’s brows furrowed together because she knew just how good Orga’s god-like abilities were—and no pun intended…but they were very…god-like. If even he was having trouble detecting anything, then she felt like they were lost in the dark and the thought of Mr. Yamagata being somewhere out there alone and afraid made her heart ache.

Finally the Hunting Dogs raised their heads and proclaimed, “Mr. Yamagata’s scent is obviously in other parts of the house for us to pick up on; however, his presence in Earthland is masked from us—as well as the attackers.”

“What kind of spell could do that?” Lucy whispered to herself, “What could keep you from sensing him…”

Canes Venatici then let out a fierce howl before their snarled their fangs and answered, “There is one who could keep this from us.”

Orga and Lucy both looked at each other before the blonde asked, “Who?”

Canes Venatici began to dig at the ground before they barked, “Chameleon. He always loved playing tricks on us.”

Then the other dog yapped, “If he is in a corrupted state, it will make it that much harder to find Mr. Yamagata. However, now that we know what we are looking for—we can find them.”

“What do you mean?” Orga asked in confusion.

The two dogs came and set before them before they replied, “Chameleon can help mask the scent of themselves for a while and even the people or things they are protecting; however, their magic leaves a familiar scent—you picked up on it right?”

The dogs both looked at Orga who then asked, “You mean that corrupted smell?”

The dogs nodded and added, “It’s a sulfur like smell—in reality it means that the Celestial being is being forced to do something that is against their will. It has a distinct smell we can track.”

“I don’t understand,” Lucy admitted in confusion; however, she had also been up for almost 24 hours at this point and was complete exhausted.

“The Celestial beings that cast this spell are not out at the moment, just like Andromeda wasn’t always out,” Canes Venatici began to explain.

Lucy’s eyes widened before she whispered, “But Mr. Yamagata came here because he could trace her energy…”

The dogs nodded their heads before they added, “Similar to how he traced them with whatever magic or technology was at his disposal, we think that the next time they use a similar magic—then we can find them.”

“So it’s not completely hopeless,” Lucy stated out loud, more in an attempt to reassure herself.

“Exactly,” Canes Venatci replied, “We will inform you the moment we notice something.”

Then Orga added, “Perhaps there is something in Mr. Yamagata’s study or library that could help us too.”

Lucy tried to recall her first meeting with Mr. Yamagata. So much had happened since then and she remembered quite vividly at how overwhelmed she felt when he told her how powerful she really was before she agreed with Orga and replied, “He used some sort of calculation.” Then she turned to Orga and asked, “But Andromeda was corrupted because that jealous lightning mage slayed a God…did they slay another god to do this? Is one of them a God Slayer too?”

She felt like she was about to hyperventilate at her own questions and the fear of losing Mr. Yamagata before Orga gently touched her shoulder and reassured her, “Tiny, I know you will figure this out. You are the smartest person out there—even more so than Rufus.”

The blonde couldn’t help but smile just a little because she knew Orga was trying to bring her back and calm her and then she felt the weight of exhaustion start to hit her. Suddenly she felt like there were no more tears to cry and no more wondering about what could happen—she felt numb and wanted a bed.

Then Orga added, “We will find him and we will find who did this and help the Celestial Spirits too. However, we can’t do much until you get some rest. If the spirits use their magic, Canes Venatici will find them. But we can’t answer every question right and some of this is still hypothetical.”

Canes Venatici nodded and replied, “It’s true. We don’t know if it is Chameleon or not, but it is likely. We are sorry we cannot do more though…we know how much Mr. Yamagata means to you.”

Lucy felt a pang in her chest. She knew that Orga was trying to hold it together for her, just like he did when they came here to train, and now Canes Venatici was doing the same. In truth, Mr. Yamagata was a lot like the family she had lost and he was someone that showed her what she was really capable of without ever judging her or making her feel useless. The fact that someone came into his home and kidnapped him made her feel sick to her very core, but after hearing Orga and Canes Venatici—she sadly knew that there was nothing she could do in this very moment to change anything—not matter how frustrating it was.

Finally she replied with a yawn before she whispered to her spirits, “Thank you for everything. Please let me know if anything changes.”

The two dogs bowed before they disappeared back into the Celestial Realm. Her body began to ache from exhaustion after they returned. She had been up for so long and then she burnt up quite a bit of magic with Draco before she leaned back against her muscular boyfriend and asked, “What now? I feel so helpless…”

Orga couldn’t hide his own yawn before he replied, “I suggest we call Laxus and let him know we are fine and that we will know more after we search Mr. Yamagata’s study—but only after you get some sleep.”

As Orga began to lead the way back to where they had originally stayed all those months ago, Lucy begrudgingly, and pathetically argued, “I can stay awake longer…he needs us.”

The God Slayer couldn’t help but smile faintly before he replied, “I know he does and we won’t be any good to him if you run yourself ragged. I know it’s hard because he is like family, but we **_WILL_** find him. But let me take care of you…please…”

The blonde looked over at her boyfriend as they began to ascend the stairs. She noticed the shift in his tone at the end of his statement before she added, “I’m sorry. I just…my body is starting to shut down but I don’t want it to. I want to find him.”

“I understand,” Orga stated in a reassuring tone, “But I have a feeling that this isn’t going to be easy. If it is anything like Andromeda, then only you will be able to stop it and you can’t do that if you are worn out.”

She felt another pang in her chest at the memory of how sleep deprived she was during the first bout of her training here, before she agreed, “You’re right, Orga.” Then after they reached the top of the stairs she wrapped her arms around his large muscular one and breathed in his calming storm-like scent before she sighed out, “I’m glad you are here with me.”

“As am I,” Orga whispered as he touched his open hand to hers.

After they made their way to their old rooms, Lucy sleepily looked at him and smiled, “You know he’s probably fixed my room by now.”

“Of course,” Orga chuckled as he opened the door for her, “His magic is pretty powerful.”

As they stepped inside, Lucy felt her heart do a little jump before she admitted, “It’s what gives me the most hope that he is still alive. This place, and all its magic, I don’t think it’d truly be the same if he was suddenly gone.”

The two stood there in her large, beautifully decorated room, and the sudden feeling of Mr. Yamagata’s non-existence in his castle became all too aware. Her room had been fixed back up into exactly how she remembered it before Andromeda attacked in her corrupted state. She looked over at her large bed and smiled at the memory of all of the evenings when Orga held her close and made her feel safe. In a weird way, it felt like she had returned home—but it wasn’t home entirely without Mr. Yamagata.

Finally Orga sat their packs down that he had been carrying all this time and yawned, “I’ll call Laxus if you want to go take a bath.”

Lucy couldn’t help but chuckle as she shrugged off her winter coat and let it drop to the floor before she stood on her tiptoes and gently placed a kiss on Orga’s cheek and whispered, “You know me very well.”

With his lightning reflexes he sneaked a kiss right on her lips before he teased, “I wouldn’t be a good boyfriend if I didn’t know you.”

She couldn’t help but chuckle and she was fairly certain it was from the complete exhaustion that she reached over and smacked his firm ass and gave him a wink.

He let out a funny yelp, mostly form her catching him off guard, before he froze where he stood when she began to shirk off the rest of her clothes right in front of him. Orga was already holding the communication lacrima in his hand, but luckily had not called Laxus yet, when Lucy purred out, “Will you join me in the shower after you are done talking to Laxus?”

It took Orga probably thirty seconds to respond, because he was still in such shock by her beauty. He stood there dumbfounded because she had stripped down to just her lacey undergarments and he was mentally kicking himself with how lucky of a man he was. Even in her exhausted, sleep deprived and worried state, she was an absolute goddess. He felt utterly selfish for thinking about how the night earlier could have gone and he could have finally made love to the woman that had captivated even his very soul. Now as she stood before him, her large round breasts spilling out of their fabric encasement, all he could do was be at her mercy when he answered, “Anything you wish, Tiny.”

She gave him a sleepy and saucy smile before she undid the hook on her bra and let it fall to the ground. Like a dumbass he still remained frozen, because he just could not believe how lucky he was. Then she gave him a wink and slid her lacey panties down over the curves of her hips before she whispered, “Please, don’t keep me waiting.”

His mind and eyes weren’t entirely sure at which part of her he should look at. He wanted to look at everything, soak it all in, and worship her very existence. But as he watched her ass sway back and forth slightly before she disappeared into her bathroom, he looked down at the lacrima in his hand and swore to himself, because he was too much of a nice guy now and groaned when he reached out his magic to Laxus to inform him. But he also thanked the gods that Laxus wouldn’t be able to see the massive boner he now had.

It took about half a second for the handsome blonde Slayer to answer before he asked, “Any news?”

Orga shook his head no before he answered, “No, Canes Venatici couldn’t pick up a trace. They have a theory though but that theory will be a waiting game.”

Laxus didn’t look happy, but nodded his head before he asked, “Any idea what or who did it?”

The God Slayer took a deep breath before he sighed out in admittance, “To me it smells like the last time when we were here and Andromeda’s magic was everywhere.”

Laxus arched his brow before he asked a follow up question, “Could the smell still be from Andromeda?”

“No,” Orga admitted with worry in his voice, “It only happened when she was here or her magic was going haywire. By the time we left the mountain the first time, it had all disappeared.  I’m concerned that if this is the work of another Celestial Spirit that has been corrupted—then their magic should have faded by now too. The fact that it is still here a week later…that’s not good.”

“Fuck,” Laxus whispered on the lacrima before he asked, “How’s Blondie?”

“Tired,” Orga replied, “And pushing herself.”

Laxus grunted in response before he added, “Us too. I just sent my team off to get some rest. Now with your report, it sounds like we will need as much strength as we can save.”

Orga nodded as he stared off into space before he informed the Fairy Tail Mage, “We are going to get some sleep up here and then search Mr. Yamagata’s study before we head back down. The last time we were here, Mr. Yamagata made it seem like he came here because he could sense Andromeda. If that is true, we might be able to pinpoint the source that did this to him faster.”

“That’s a good idea,” Laxus agreed before he too yawned and added, “We should both get some rest. I’ll talk to you guys later.”

Orga thanked the man before the lacrima went dark. After he put it away in his pack, the sudden scent from the shower hit his nose. He had been preoccupied before but now he could smell the calming scent of lavender and eucalyptus coming from the shower and already see the heat leaving the bathroom because Lucy left the door open for him.

He felt like a fucking child because he was already hard as a rock thinking about her in there naked and waiting for him. He could feel his own pulse expand his cock even wider as he thought about how magnificently beautiful she looked in her lingerie a few hours ago. While he knew that this was not the most opportune moment to make love to her, he didn’t want to be without her right now as he removed his tight shirt and began to unbutton his pants.

As he let his clothes fall to the floor, he smiled when he could hear her humming under the water. It felt like an out of body experience as he entered the steamy and stone covered bathroom. Then when he stepped in, his heart nearly stopped, when his beautiful girlfriend turned around and looked at him with her big, and sad, brown eyes. She reached her hand out to him as the water cascaded down around her naked flesh before she whispered, “Orga, hold me.”

He didn’t hesitate as he fully stepped into the shower with her and let the hot water envelope him. He could feel her steadying breaths as their bare bodies pressed against each other. She wrapped her arms around his torso before she sighed out in admittance, “Orga, until we find Mr. Yamagata—can we please not be separated?”

He could feel her head bury into him further after the question and his heart lifted slightly because he did not want to be away from her either. He knew she was more than capable of handling herself, but it wasn’t just about physically being able to handle someone, it was about emotionally being there in a time of need. That is what they both needed right now before he replied, “Of course, Tiny. Anything you want.”

At his honesty, Lucy felt a heat pool up in her before she took a deep inhale of the calming scents that were escaping the shower before she looked up at him and whispered, “I want you…please…”

She watched as he gulped and she would be stupid if she couldn’t feel his massive erection pressing into her upper-torso. Their proportional size was quite humorous most of the time, but all Lucy could be right now was turned on. She was in a rollercoaster of emotions as she watched the steamy water rain down on Orga’s long green hair like was under a waterfall. She was filled with both great sadness and the need to feel the presence of the man that she loved.

She could feel his strong hands trail down her back as his stormy eyes pieced through her. He let out what sounded like a growl before he responded, “Earlier tonight, I would have done anything you asked…but we’ve been through a lot. I want you, there is no doubt about that, but I want you to want me when you’ve had some sleep and food in you. Tonight has not been easy on either of us.”

She felt disappointment hit her chest so hard that it felt like someone had taken a dull knife and plunged it into her. She was an emotional wreck at the moment before she whispered out, and tried not to cry, “I wanted you earlier though…”

“I know, Tiny,” Orga quickly tried to correct himself. He wasn’t trying to turn her down now, even though it was starting to come across that way, he just wanted her to be happy on the night that they made love for the first time and not plagued with sadness.

Then she looked at him with her tear filled brown eyes and admitted, “We don’t know what’s going to happen next. What if I lose Andromeda or Lupus…what if I lose members of my guild…what if I lose you before we’ve really been together?!”

Orga took a deep breath as a few tears ran down her eyes before he put his hand under her chin and gently and lovingly reassured her, “You aren’t going to lose me. You are stuck with me now and until the end of our days, Lucy Heartfilia.”

“Then be with me,” Lucy whispered out longingly, “I love you and I want this. I know it might not be the most picture perfect way, but if it’s with you—then I don’t care. I just want you, Orga Nanagear.”

The God Slayer would have had to been a damn fool to turn down the love of his life before he leaned down next to her ear and whispered, “Anything you say. I’m yours forever, but let me start pleasuring you in other ways first—so that it doesn’t hurt too much.”

She couldn’t help let out the sharp moan that escaped from between her lips as she felt his cock press into her back after he spun her around and reached for the body wash. Her senses felt both dulled and heightened from the lack of sleep and the feeling of arousal when she heard him open the cap and squirt some of the body wash into his hands. After he sat it back down on the shower ledge, she heard him lather his hands together before she felt his masculine hands run down her arms.

Her toes were starting to curl in the shower because she wanted to turn around, grab his face, and plant the biggest kiss on him but before she could he huskily stated, “Let me take care of all of your needs right now.”

Her only response was an incoherent moan as his hands began to work their way down her body. She couldn’t stay standing very well so he spun her back and her eyes widened when he kneeled before her and put her hands on his shoulder for balance.

All she could do was breathily whisper out his name, “Orga…”

She watched the tiniest smirk appeared on his face as his strong hands stroked over her breasts. Her head leaned back at the pleasurable feeling as she leaned into him further. His hands felt like they were everywhere, yet in not enough places, all at the same time—especially when they traced up the inner part of her thighs.

Then finally, snapping her out of the spell she had been put in, he groaned as he stood up, “Let me rinse you off.”

She bit her lip as he helped guide the water across her skin and washed away all of the bubbles. As the last bit washed off of her, she couldn’t help it when she finally made eye contact with his impressive member. She gulped at the realization of how big it actually was. Girth was the keyword and it suited him perfectly. Her core ached for him and she knew that he could smell her arousal with his powers and he didn’t keep her waiting when he pulled her close to him again to steady her before he slipped his hand down between her legs and began to tease her womanly entrance.

She whimpered at the need for him as she felt his fingers explore her naked flesh. She looked up at him with pleading eyes before she whispered, “Orga, I think we’ve waited long enough.”

She watched as he chuckled before he teased slightly, “Who would have thought you would have been the impatient one.”

She playfully swatted his muscular arm before his lips reclaimed hers and she felt her back against the cold stone of the shower. The contrasting temperatures around her were making her body come alive and his touch was driving her crazy just before he eased one finger into her, with their lips still locked.

His finer inside of her felt like nothing she had ever experienced before. The feeling was at first uncomfortable but as he focused on his lips and then the way he slowly began to play with her, her body couldn’t help but voluntarily give into the sensation. After her hips gave his hand an erotic roll, she felt him groan in satisfaction just before he pulled away from her swollen lips and whispered, “I’m going to try two now.”

“Please,” Lucy begged as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a deeper kiss. Gods all she wanted to do was push him down and release this crazy pent-up feeling between her legs.

Orga didn’t hesitate at her desire when he slipped in another digit. At eh sensation, Lucy let out a loud moan and tried to stand in a different way to accommodate the change in width to womanhood. She had never done this before with a man and in some ways she wondered how they hell could she have waited so long on something that felt this amazing. Then when she pulled away from Orga’s kiss for a second and bit down on his shoulder from the pressure, she knew it was because no man was Orga. He was hers.

Orga looked down at her before he whispered, “What if we take this to the bed?”

Lucy was beyond hot and bothered before she whimpered out, “Please.”

He let out a chuckle and when he removed his fingers from her, his chuckle deepened when Lucy began to pout. However, just to tease her a little more he stated, “I still need to shower too.”

She watched in silence as he reached for more soap and began to lather himself up with it. Her body was a mixture of exhaustion and insanely turned on that she felt like she didn’t know what to do. So she just stood there transfixed, watching him like some love-struck perv, before she finally breathed out, “Can’t I help you?”

Then that cocky ass grin she came to love reappeared before he admitted, “If I let you help me then I will lose control entirely.”

She couldn’t help the smile that was on her face as she played with the lacrima necklace that he had given her before she teased, “So what?”

The man was too fast though as he finished up and then he was before her again with her back against the wall. He looked up at her with his stormy eyes and playfully teased, “Earlier tonight you were going to make love to me for Christmas present, huh?”

She let out a pleasurable moan before she responded with, “Yes.”

Then the muscular man turned the water off as his eyes remained on her. Once the last drips began to drain out of the shower head, Lucy knew that he would be able to hear her labored breaths because she could see the rise and fall of her own bare chest. Then he added, “Let me make it up to you since your plans were ruined.”

She couldn’t help but smile as he reached for some towels and handed her one. Then she nodded in understanding before she sighed, “Thank you.”  She knew he didn’t want to bring up the events again from tonight, not after he finally got her calmed down. So instead, she watched as he started to dry off before she teased, “You are kind of too good and sweet now—especially compared to the douche-bag I first met.”

At that statement, Orga busted out laughing with his booming voice and replied, “All thanks to you, Tiny.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Lucy waved off at him before she threw her towel at him and purred, “Now where were we?”

Orga couldn’t help the massive grin that appeared across his face as he picked her up in one swift swoop and began to carry her towards the massive bed. He gently placed her down on the soft, luxurious bed just before her eyes shot wide open as Orga grabbed her ankles and pulled her towards the center of the bed. Her eyes remained open as the large muscular man crawled up onto the bed between her legs, still naked as hell and looking fine as fuck. She let out a gulp and her heart was racing like crazy before she leaned up on the bed and reached out to him and pleaded, “Kiss me…”

Orga didn’t hesitate when he leaned forward and captivated her lips with his. The two fought hungrily for each other and Lucy couldn’t help but think about everything they had gone through. So many obstacles had been in their path on their way to this and all she wanted was to feel him because he made her feel alive and loved. A lot of people might think her odd for wanting to make love to him still after everything that had happened, but in her heart…this is really where she fell in love with him and he was who she wanted with her to help her through the darkness. He was her hero, her protector, and her best friend in so many ways.

His kiss was intoxicating as she leaned back onto the bed with him on top of her. Her legs spread for him and her core ached for him. Then much to her disappointment, his lips pulled away from hers and he began to trail his kisses down her flushed body—to which she could not stay disappointed for long.

“Orga…” Lucy groaned as his mouth made its way to her breasts.

Her breathing was labored before his magical eyes looked at her and she nodded that she wanted him to continue. He smirked slightly before his firm lips took her perky nipple into his mouth.

She let out a fierce groan and out of instinct her back arched off of the bed. However, instead of giving into her demands for more, he gently eased her body back down as his tongue swirled around her nipple and his right hand began to trail down between her legs.

“Orga…” Lucy whined a little.

“Yes, Tiny?” Orga teased as he pulled away from her luscious body.

She groaned in response before she asked, “Why do you get to touch me, but I can’t you?”

He thought about it for a moment before he shrugged, but with a grin, replied, “I can stop if you want.”

A deep pout fell on her face, just before she let out a large yawn, and admitted, “That doesn’t seem fair either.”

Orga couldn’t help but chuckle at her exhausted honesty before his face hovered above her womanhood. She smelled so good and he could feel her muscles already contracting. Her dark brown eyes looked at him again before he admitted, “I’ve wanted to do this for so long.” Then he gently parted the folds of her sacred womanhood and gently ran his tongue up the slick wet folds.

“Orga!” Lucy moaned even louder and couldn’t help it when her hands captivated his green hair. All she could feel was bliss and her body finally began to relax as she felt his strong hands move and cup the sides of her hips before he dug in further into her with his tongue and mouth.

Her face was hot from somewhat embarrassment because she had never done this before, but then when she looked down at him, his eyes met hers and he pulled away and groaned, “You taste like heaven.”

She bit her lip before she pleaded, “Orga, please…”

He could sense her emotions now, even stronger than before when she clarified, “Please…I need you…”

Their eyes remained locked onto each other before she added, “I love you. Please, make love to me.”

He would be a fool to turn her down. He just wanted everything to be perfect, but the truth was—nothing is perfect. Instead he nodded and replied, “I love you too, Lucy Heartfilia.”

He watched as her face lit up and he came back up towards her face and captivated her lips with his once more.

She could taste herself on him and now she wrapped her arms around his neck before she wrapped her legs around his torso and pressed herself up against him. Their labored breaths were all that filled the room as her hands ran up his muscular and tattooed body before he admitted, “I’m afraid I will hurt you, physically…If it’s too much tell me.”

She couldn’t help but squirm in delight under him before she breathily replied, “Orga, fill me up—I’ll need to get used to your feeling sooner or later.”

She could see in his eyes that he liked her response and she watched in nervousness as his large member lined up with her entrance and then he began to ease his way in. Her body wanted to both wiggle upwards and press down into him further. It was a perplexing feeling. However, she couldn’t help the large moan that elicited from between her lips.

Orga took his time with her, because he was quite above the average male size, and Tiny was a virgin. As he eased himself in, he gently caressed her and kissed her to reassure her that he was there. Then when he felt her moan in agreement and rocked her hips against him, which was all the encouragement he needed to start slowly thrusting into her further to meet her demands.

However, all he could say after he told her how much he loved her was, “Wow…oh god, Tiny.”

“Mmmmm,” Lucy moaned under him, “Make love to me, My God Slayer.”

Their lips locked once more as the two began to move in unison. Orga could feel his girlfriend’s fingers clawing and digging into his back in such an erotic way. He had never experienced sex like this before. He had never loved a woman enough to want to kiss her and ease her into everything. His past was fuck ‘em and dump ‘em. But feeling Lucy under him; feeling her breasts press into him; hearing her moans in his ear; feeling the way her walls tightened and contracted around his cock made him want to set up camp between her legs permanently. He was forever hooked on her and he would never do anything to jeopardize being with her. He was hopelessly in love.

Lucy felt like she was in pure bliss, every thrust and snap Orga made with his hips sent her to the brink of her sanity before she moaned, “Orga, oh god, oh please….”

Orga didn’t need a translator to know what Lucy was begging from him and he was more than happy to deliver her first of many orgasm as he tilted his angle slightly and began to pound into her a little more. That was all it took as he watched her come completely undone below him. Her walls clamped down on him in such a way that all he could mutter out was, “Oh fuck…”

She seemed to understand his own situation as she dug her fingers in deeper and cried out louder for him as he captivated her lips and spilled every last drop of himself into her.

* * *

 

Lucy had no idea how long they laid there in that blissed state before Orga kissed her head and rolled next to her on the bed. Her eyes were starting to grow heavier by the second before she whispered in a peaceful state, “I love you, Or-chan.”

He pulled her up against his chest before he whispered back, “Love you too, Tiny.”

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